GP is likely referring to the on-going, completely sanctioned and culturally ingrained practice of corporal punishment for what would otherwise be minor offenses in the Western world. While likely not thought of "torture" in the minds of Singaporeans, the thought of corporal punishment is abhorrent to many of the 20-30 somethings in Western urban environments.
No, sorry, that statement wasn't meant to be exclusionary. People of all living situations and ages could definitely find it abhorrent. Just expressing my opinion that that specific demographic would likely slant extremely heavily towards calling it inhumane, if not outright torture. People in older generations are sometimes closer to having been the recipients of corporal punishment themsleves, whether in school or at home, and my vague inclination suggests that these practices might have continued longer in rural areas than in urban areas. In that way, they might not see it as inhumane, but younger generations might.