The death penalty should not be abolished in Singapore, especially for crimes such as drug trafficking and terrorism (Protest against death penalty at reopened Speakers' Corner, April 4).

The death penalty acts as an effective deterrent to make potential criminals think twice, if not thrice, before committing any heinous crime.

Anti-death penalty activists must consider the destructive societal cost drug traffickers bring to many families in Singapore. The mental and health devastation that drug addicts and their families experience can be huge.

If drug traffickers valued their lives as well as others' lives as much as these activists do, they would not have committed the crimes. The monetary rewards are just too tempting, and so drug kingpins and traffickers will try their luck, especially in countries with lenient punishment.

Activists may want to be magnanimous towards people committing evil crimes, but some of these criminals show no tinge of guilt when bringing ruin to others.

Recent polls show that the majority of Singaporeans support the death penalty (Budget debate: Over 80% of S'poreans polled believe death penalty has deterred offenders, says Shanmugam, March 3).

Having the death penalty does not mean no crime, but having lenient punishment will not deter crime.

To keep the majority of Singaporeans safe, we need the death penalty.

Foo Sing Kheng