Salt * Wet * Fish

In a recently case regarding animal abuse, the courts sentenced a man to only 8 weeks of jail, for knowingly torturing cats to death. Animal lovers are certain surprised by this light sentence, as it does indeed send the wrong signals that we don’t really care too much about animals. See Light sentence for cat torturer sends wrong signal.

Its quite strange when you compare this to section 377 and 377a of our Singapore law. From wikipedia:

The Singapore Penal Code, Chapter XVI (Offences Affecting the Human Body), Section 377 (Cap. 224) states that:

Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animals, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation. Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

Section 377A (Outrages on decency) states that:

Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.

According to our Singapore law, even if 2 consenting adult men have sex in their own private bedroom, they are liable of being sentence to either 2 years or 10 years of jail!

Compare this with the 8 weeks sentence for the animal abuser, it seems to send the message that our law is more concerned about the citizen’s private sexual life than animal welfare. Section 377 and 377a, as long as they are there, will always remind Singaporeans that our government wants to control the tiniest expect of our lives.