New work pass for foreigners can also help Singapore retain local talent: Experts

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could also help retain top home-grown talent by assuring them that they have peers from overseas they can stand toe to toe with

The Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass targets top talent in all sectors earning a fixed monthly salary of at least $30,000, or have a track record of outstanding achievements in various fields such as academia or the arts.

"(Such a pass) builds a community of top talent so (home-grown talent) don't have to go overseas to find peers to learn from and exchange their knowledge with

With easier recruitment of foreign talent, local talent may perceive it as less opportunity for them for the top jobs

Qn: To what extent is reducing reliance on foreigners a realistic goal for your society? (JPJC Prelim 2021)

Sports fraternity shocked by Joseph Schooling's admission of cannabis use

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Relate to 2015 AQ on doping in sport, and 2020 AQ on apology....

External parties trying to influence Singapore, people here should guard themselves: Vivian Balakrishnan

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Singaporeans are exposed to a wide variety of messages in the "whole tsunami" of social media and private messaging. 

there were messages floating around in Singapore in Chinese and English related to the Ukraine war that tried to stir up strong anti-American sentiments. There were also others that aimed to discredit Russia and China, and sought to persuade people to side with the West.

social media platforms are optimised for revenue maximisation and not for the propagation of facts or reasonable, rational discourse. "What has wings on social media, and you just go by the algorithms, anything that incites, anything that makes people angry, anything that is scandalous or raises emotional temperatures, those are the messages that thrive..."By its very nature, social media is optimised sometimes for the more base nature of humanity and it's related to profit maximisation

we are not just going to swallow everything hook, line and sinker

George Yeo on the redwood, the giant bush and the banyan tree

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likened the state to a banyan tree - a large evergreen tree native to Asia - and spoke of the need to prune it so that civic participation could grow under its canopy.

"If we are insecure about our own identity, then we become uncomfortable with the strength of other people's identity."

If Singapore is defined by what we can't be, then it's not a very attractive Singapore

Unity, he added, is created not by how much each person has to retreat in order to create a common space - but by how each, by growing his heart and enlarging his mind, can create a greater overlap. One is a positive-sum game, while the other is a zero-sum game.

Where there is over-dependence on foreigners to make up for a shortfall of local Chinese writers, distortions may arise due to the lack of an indigenous Singapore perspective. There is also the worry that these institutions may be captured by China,...."You can't just depend on foreign talent...there's a danger that we lose our core. I don't see that core being replicated because the current SAP schools that we have, which end at Hwa Chong (Institution), don't provide a sufficient peak."

In the same vein, he suggests having an Islamic college in Singapore to reduce over-reliance on sending madrasah students overseas for their further studies, where they are exposed to different kinds of religious teaching depending on the country or institution.

"We should think about giving them that formative training in Singapore. Then they become Singaporean Islamic religious leaders. In a crisis, they will know how to shape the community because we are multi-ethnic, we are multi-religious," he said.

"If we don't (and) something happens and they’re from different traditions, we may lose coherence."

Qn: To what extent is reducing reliance on foreigners a realistic goal for your society? (JPJC Prelim 2021)

Japanese film Plan 75 about the elderly 'scarier than a horror movie', says director

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Our capitalist society values productivity and divides people into those with worth and those without

She chose to set Plan 75 in contemporary Japan, rather than in a futuristic society as others have done when dealing with ideas about Orwellian governments seeking to purify the population through eugenics. "There is no Plan 75 yet in real life, but I wanted to make the audience feel it could happen at any time

For qns on movies and the arts....

Strategic challenges, and why S377A is being repealed

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Sorry, I'm not going to say it

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Relate to 2020 AQ on apology.....

Singapore hits almost 40% of target to plant one million more trees by 2030

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NDR 2022: Singapore to attract and retain top talent with new initiatives

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Qn: To what extent is reducing reliance on foreigners a realistic goal for your society? (JPJC Prelim 2021)

NUS students come up with recycling method for medicine strips

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It is difficult to separate the materials in this multi-layer packaging so the strips are usually discarded as general waste....came up with a chemical recycling method to separate plastic from aluminium and salvage both components.

much suitable medical or pharmaceutical waste is not recycled due to the challenges in segregating and pre-cleaning before recycling, in case it is biohazardous

Qn: 'Recycling is over-rated, which does little to help the problem of waste.' How true is this of your society?

China's censors change ending of latest Minions movie

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Allegedly stolen Nepalese artefact acquired through established procedures: ACM

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the missing four artefacts had been used in religious rites involving seven deities before they were stolen, and the ritual has since been conducted using replicas.

Qn: ‘Works of art which have been removed from their country of origin should be returned.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2018)

More must be done to help Singaporeans make sustainable choices: OCBC climate index

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While most Singaporean consumers say they are environmentally conscious, they tend to make purchases based on cost, convenience and preference

Sustainability is seen as a bonus or a happy consequence of a purchasing choice that made sense in the first place

Gen-Z citizens chose to eat unsustainably owing to difficulty in changing their diets and a belief that their choices made little environmental difference. They also spent more on non-essential products.

aged between 58 and 65 advocated for more climate action this year due to their increased comfort with digital tools acquired during the pandemic.

New research centre in NTU to further drive robotics' role in S'pore's development

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“The goal is for robots to carry out the tedious tasks that humans don’t want to do themselves, and work with humans, not to replace them,

Workers, too, can pursue good jobs in the robotics sector....as the Government supports them in upgrading their skills. “I understand the anxieties that some workers might have about whether they would be replaced by robots in their jobs,”.... acknowledging that some jobs, such as those involving highly repetitive and labour-intensive tasks, will be disrupted. “But this will also free up workers to take up other more productive and value-added jobs, for example, in operating and maintaining robots,” ....encouraging workers to undergo training in new skills.

Salman Rushdie, stabbed at New York lecture, may lose eye and is on ventilator, agent says

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Click HERE to understand why "The Satanic Verses" is so controversial and offensive....

Why was The Satanic Verses so controversial? The novel offended many Muslims because of its portrayal of Islam as a deceitful, ignorant, and sexually deviant religion. Rushdie described Mecca as 'Jahilia,' a term signifying the period of ignorance prior to the revelations received by Muhammad. He referred to Muhammad as 'Mahound,' a medieval Christian designation that implied Muhammad was some kind of false deity. He gave the names of Muhammad's wives to twelve prostitutes in a brothel. And most controversially, he invoked a discredited tradition in Islam, the so-called "satanic verses," in which Satan inspired Muhammad to compromise with the people of Mecca and to allow them to continue to worship other deities in an attempt to lure them to Islam.

The heart of the controversy pertained to freedom of expression and what limits, if any, should be placed on this freedom when it is used to criticize if not demonize a minority religious community. Rushdie and his most ardent defenders insisted that freedom of expression was a non-negotiable principle.

Qn:  ‘In a free society, there should be no restrictions on freedom of speech.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2020)

Robots to the rescue as various sectors battle manpower crunch

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Healthcare, hospitality and aviation are among the hardest-hit sectors by an ongoing labour crunch amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Besides simplifying work processes and eliminating paperwork, Mr Hanna said it has also freed up front office staff for more personalised interactions, such as welcoming guests when they arrive at the driveway and assisting with simple concierge inquiries.

by automating baggage transportation, airside workers can focus on more complex last-mile operations such as aircraft handling

"Automation will also enable the airport to redesign and upgrade the job scopes of our airside workers," 

some roles that require human traits such as empathy, or roles involving planning and decision making, still cannot be replaced by machines.

Qn: To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam. 2019)

Sporting Life: In a competitive world one truth prevails - evolve or step aside

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Qn:  To what extent is human life in general about the survival of the fittest? (Cam. 2021)

Forum: Religious beliefs should not dictate laws relating to LGBTQ matters

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Where the disagreement lies is in whether religious groups should be allowed to dictate the laws in a secular state.

Qn: How far should religion influence political decisions? (Cam. 2009)

Progress is good, but make room in your belly for tradition

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But skyscrapers and shiny attractions do not make New York or London or Tokyo exciting. The quirks in these cities do, whether it is street-cart food in New York or its venerable steak houses; jellied eels and salt beef sandwiches in London and those bustling markets; tiny six-seat sushi-ya in Tokyo and back alley soba stands where you slurp and go.

Traditional food feeds our soul, reminding us of where we come from, who we are, and why we eat what we eat.

Everywhere, food businesses are putting flavours traditional to Singapore in their food. They know it can help boost sales. Curiosity alone will draw customers, suckers like me.

Why would people want to visit Singapore?....What we have to offer, though, is very soulful food....Without traditional food, Singapore's food scene would be generic. This city would just be a pit stop on the way to someplace more fabulous.

You "champion" traditional food because it is usually cheap and accessible.

Fuddy-duddy folks will be the first to sneer at what they think is the lack of authenticity. But authenticity means nothing if an entire genre of food is wiped out because it has become irrelevant.

What is clear, however, is that food cannot stay static. It has to change with the times, with people's circumstances, preoccupations and preferences.

Qn: 'Traditions are no longer relevant.' To what extent is this true in your society?

Workers want 4-day week in S'pore; some employers have started to offer this option

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How will the move affect Singapore’s competitiveness? What if competitor countries do not follow suit? Should schools switch to a four-day school week? How will caregivers be affected? All these issues need to be studied

“Plus, in Singapore, the men have to do reservist, and there is maternity leave, paternity leave and all that. We might be going overboard.”

The labour shortage in some sectors also makes it tough for employers to allow their workers to work fewer days a week.

Healthy demand despite higher costs for Hungry Ghost Festival offerings

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Note the idea of modifying traditions to keep them relevant with the times....

On the 15th day of the month, which is Zhong Yuan Jie, customers will splurge more on items for their deceased relatives.

According to traditional customs, the souls of the dead are believed to roam the Earth during the seventh lunar month. Offerings are made to appease them when the gates of hell open during this period, which is from July 29 to Aug 26 this year.

"People are still buying the special items for their dearly departed," he said. "They will not stint on their late Ah Gongs and Ah Mas."

"Covid-19 care packs" comprising a mask, hand sanitiser and safety goggles priced at $4 each have attracted much interest since the pandemic started, as have "Moderna" or "Pfizer" "vaccination jabs" at the same price.

younger customers have also been burning offerings such as dog and cat food and kennels for their dead pets in recent years, or gifting paper pets to their animal-loving human relatives in the afterlife.

Acknowledging the need to stay in tune with new trends, Mr Ong said: "You really have to move with the shifting demands in the spirit world."

Qns:

1. Is superstition still relevant in today's world?

2. 'Traditions are no longer relevant.' To what extent is this true in your society?

Will Smith posts emotional new apology for Oscars slap

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Relate to apology AQ in 2020 paper