Netizens ‘disappointed’ that Richard Branson declined MHA’s death penalty debate invitation, but acknowledge he ‘has a point’ for doing so

After more than a week, British billionaire Richard Branson responded to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) invitation to a live televised debate with Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam regarding Singapore’s approach to drugs and the death penalty.

In his Oct 30 blog post, Branson declined the invitation, explaining that a televised debate would be “limited in time and scope, always at risk of prioritising personalities over issues,” adding that such debates “cannot do the complexity of the death penalty any service. It reduces nuanced discourse to soundbites and turns serious debate into spectacle.”

He further suggested that Singapore requires a “constructive, lasting dialogue involving multiple stakeholders, with a true commitment to transparency and evidence.”

Branson also emphasized the importance of including the voices of local activists in the discussion. “The brave thing for you would be to actively engage Singaporean stakeholders, from the Transformative Justice Collective to Mr M Ravi, Nagaenthran Dharmalingam’s courageous lawyer, and regional voices, such as the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network. They deserve to be listened to, not ignored, or worse yet, harassed.”

Following his response, netizens on Reddit shared mixed reactions. One user expressed that they were “a bit disappointed,” with some feeling that Branson had more to gain by debating. Others, however, questioned why there was disappointment, suggesting it was “a smart move” on Branson’s part.

A few netizens expressed interest in seeing a debate between Mr Shanmugam and human rights lawyer M Ravi, with one even commenting, “We’d missed out on some real good popcorn material.”

Meanwhile, others praised Branson’s decision and his emphasis on the need for local voices in the debate. One Redditor noted that Branson’s response highlighted an important point about local stakeholders. Another mentioned that lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, whom they regard as one of Singapore’s top humanitarian lawyers, should also have been brought up by Branson in his response.