Charlie Kirk Shooting Highlights Need for Law, Order in Democratic Discourse: Minister

Shanmugam: There must be low crime, trust in institutions, people must feel safe

- Ng Wei Kai

Assassinated political activist Charlie Kirk was a victim of worsening political divisions within the United States, said Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, stressing the need for law and order to have proper democratic discourse.

For such discourse to happen, there must be low crime and trust in institutions, and people must feel safe, said Mr Shanmugam, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security.

He was speaking to the media on Sept 12 at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club before attending a charity dinner held by Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities.

Mr Kirk, an American conservative activist credited with pulling in the youth vote for US President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, was shot dead on Sept 10 as he was speaking to students and visitors at Utah Valley University.

Singapore's approach is zero tolerance for gun violence, drug trafficking, hate speech and inciting violence, as well as being tough on crime and its causes, said Mr Shanmugam.

"And our politics is largely operated within the framework where we discuss our differences in a mostly civilised way," he added.

Mr Shanmugam said what happened to Mr Kirk was horrific, but not surprising as political divisions within the US have been getting worse for some time.