Government's role is not to lead on moral issues: PM Lee

The Singapore government’s role is not to lead on social and moral issues, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday (1 March).

Lee was responding to a question by journalist Stephen Sackur on BBC’s HARDtalk programme on why the government has yet to abolish Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises sex between mutually consenting men.

“This is a society that is not that liberal on these matters. Attitudes have changed but I believe if you had a referendum on the issue today, 377A would stand,” said Lee.

The prime minister did not answer directly when asked whether his views would change if any of his children or grandchildren were gay. Instead, he reflected on how discarding the law would not “remove the problem”.

Lee pointed out that despite the decrimininalisation of gay sex in many Western countries and changing attitudes towards homosexuality, issues such as gay marriage remain contentious.

“My personal view is that… (retaining Section 377A) is an uneasy compromise. I’m prepared to live with it until social attitudes change,” said Lee.

‘We are completely open’

During the 30-minute interview, Lee was also grilled on the government’s stance on freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Lee replied that Singapore is a “completely open” society.

“I would not presume to tell you how your Press Council should operate. Why should you presume to tell me how my country should run?

“We are completely open. We have one of the fastest Internet accesses in the world. We have no Great Wall of the Internet. Where is the restriction?” asked Lee.

Citing the US, Lee said the country promotes “democracy, freedom of speech, women’s rights, gay rights (and) sometimes even transgender rights” but does not apply this “universally across the world with all their allies”, especially when business concerns take priority.

“The world is a diverse place. Nobody has a monopoly on virtue or wisdom,” said Lee, suggesting that accepting differences in values is necessary for countries to prosper together.

‘Singaporeans are happy’

Sackur cited a Human Rights Watch report that accused PM Lee of “imposing a mix of absolute political control and repression of dissenting voices that was the hallmark of his father”, referring to Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

“If (Singapore) was such a miserable place, you wouldn’t be interviewing me. You would be going down the streets and getting ‘vox pops’… people would be saying terrible things about their government, and some of them would have emigrated,” said Lee.

“The fact is, Singaporeans are happy. They have chosen this government. We are governing the country and the people to the best of our ability,” he added.

“Millions more would like to come in if we allowed them.”