THE Health Minister has come out to say that a planned talk on euthanasia should not be allowed to go ahead here.
Referring to a session on euthanasia that Dr Philip Nitschke - dubbed Australia's 'Dr Death' - plans to hold here on May 13, Mr Khaw Boon Wan told The Straits Times: 'A workshop to teach the terminally ill how to commit suicide, and in fact, break our law, is not welcome here.'
He dispelled the notion that his recent focus on end-of-life issues meant that Singapore was moving towards a more relaxed stand on euthanasia.
Attempted suicide is a crime here, while helping someone to do so carries a mandatory jail term.
In his e-mail reply to ST, Mr Khaw wrote that 'euthanasia, which means helping the patient to commit suicide, is NOT what MOH is promoting'.
What it encourages is 'public discussion on death and end-of-life matters, as we are mortals and will die one day'.
He added: 'We are promoting palliative care for the terminally ill so that they, and their family members, will be able to cope with terminal illness with the least pain and being cared for in the most appropriate setting, which usually means the home they live in.'
The Straits Times first reported on Dr Nitschke's plans to hold a meeting here two weeks ago.
He said he was doing so because he had received e-mail messages from Singaporeans asking him for help in committing euthanasia, or mercy killing.
When asked if a permit would be given for such a talk, a police spokesman said it had contacted the organisation for details.
He added that it had not received any application for a public entertainment licence.
However, when contacted in Australia last night, Dr Nitschke said he had sent in an application a week ago.
He also said that his talk would focus on the need to change existing legislation.
Dr Nitschke said he knew Singapore's laws, and would not provide instructions on how to commit suicide, as he usually did at such sessions.
News that such a talk was to be held here had attracted some opposition.
Dr Hoe Wan Sin, a doctor in private practice, called for the talk to be blocked in a letter to this newspaper's Forum page last week.
When contacted last night, she said that it was dangerous, and might 'plant ideas' about suicide in the heads of people who were depressed, but not terminally ill - especially now, with the economic downturn.
Dr Hoe added that Dr Nitschke 'is not the best person to talk about this', since at least one of the people he helped to die was not terminally ill, but depressed.
'As a doctor, he did nothing to help her,' she said.
Dr Brian Yeo, a psychiatrist in private practice, agreed that the depressed might be vulnerable, especially if there were suggestions of a 'clean, swift and painless death that seems socially acceptable since others have done it'.
