Samsui woman with cigarette: Much ado over a mural

Click HERE

“In capturing the past, should we erase all the ‘bad’ qualities? Doing so does not help our young to grow up, be discerning and make their own choices wisely,

Art’s intention is much wider than to document actual history, or beautify a place. It is primarily intended to draw emotions, thoughts and conversations. Art is not a camera to preserve a real moment accurately.”

No less than Michelangelo’s Last Judgment was subject to criticism and eventually censorship in the 1500s.....issued a condemnation of nudity in religious art...the more controversial images painted over ...Further drapery was added in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Murals are art created for placement in the public domain, and it is inevitable that they will interact with daily life. Unlike art in museums, public art is harder to ignore.

Art can lose its power to provoke thought, evoke emotion, and initiate meaningful dialogue when censored. Yet, as public art, murals should also evoke enjoyment, curiosity and engagement, and it is not so clear that they must never be altered.

According to the dictionary, the word mural can be traced back to wall. Going back to this meaning, such art forms would hopefully tear down walls and not put them up.

Social media bans are unlikely to work. So how can we keep young people safe online?

Click HERE

Is South-east Asia storing up trouble with carbon capture and storage hubs?

Click HERE

40 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted every year from human activity, mainly from burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

Cost remains one of the greatest challenges...Other concerns include ensuring the permanence of long-term geological storage, robust laws covering liability for any leaks or mishaps and accusations that wealthier nations are simply dumping their CO2 waste in poorer nations in a trade that is prolonging the life of the fossil fuel industry.

greatest concern with CCS is that it diverts attention from more ambitious decarbonisation targets in polluting industries.

Governments...should prioritise solutions such as replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing energy and resource use. “CCS is a dangerous distraction

CCS is like a Sisyphean task. You’re pushing this rock uphill, and it’s not getting any lighter or easier to do,

Qn: ‘Fossil fuels should no longer have a part in the production of energy.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

Tourist troubles: I’m a local, get me out of here

Click HERE

The less salubrious downsides of tourism success are well-known: touch-and-go visitors who don’t respect local cultures, including sacred sites, traffic congestion and environmental damage. Many affected destinations are seen as “Disneyfied” – somehow in the process of being more tourist-friendly, traditional ways of life have been lost, resulting in a commodified and reductive sense of the local culture, usually predictably mass-produced to cater to as many visitors as possible.

For issues on tourism.....

Outcry over mural of samsui woman with cigarette: URA requests delay in changes as it reviews stance

Click HERE

Why are we trying to change history?

This particular work speaks to the migrant worker experience in Singapore, which is very much a contemporary concern. I can see value in it being presented in such an unvarnished way as it prompts reflection and conversation about how we view and interact with migrant workers in our society today.

urged the authorities to conduct a more “holistic assessment” by factoring in the artist’s intention and historical context, and not make decisions “based on comments or feedback from the public which may be made on less considered terms

It’s good to have boundaries, but a generic template for enforcing rules on art is damaging. The policy stance on cigarettes is well founded if it’s an advertisement, endorsement or advocation. This mural is not any of those.

For issues on arts and censorship....

URA order over ‘offensive’ mural of samsui woman with cigarette sparks online debate

Click HERE

the mural is “not aligned with Singapore’s anti-smoking policy stance...the woman depicted “looks more like a prostitute than a hard-working samsui woman” and was “offensive”.

“It’s kind of suppressing the potential of Singapore’s art and it’s a bummer,” he adds. “The people who make these rules are afraid of offending people or sending the wrong message to kids – and I do understand that – but sometimes you can’t avoid it when you are talking about certain subjects and talking about a historical subject

questions if public complaints are given too much weight in censorship decisions. “With the recent cancellation of the Science Centre lecture and now with this, I think about the power of complaint. How is it that different mediums can be censored or silenced because it isn’t to someone’s taste?” On June 2, Science Centre Singapore announced that it had cancelled an event organised to discuss the differences between sex and gender following public criticism.

For issues on arts censorship and rules....

Qn: ‘The world today is too easily offended.’ How far do you agree?

CDAC cuts primary school tuition curriculum by 30% to encourage play-based learning

Click HERE

For instance, pupils can compete to build a Lego car that moves the fastest down a ramp without breaking apart to learn about speed and aerodynamics.

Singapore to put in place measures to deal with screen time and device use in coming months

Click HERE

United States surgeon-general Vivek Murthy recently called for a warning label on social media platforms for young users, arguing that social media is associated with mental health harms for adolescents.

Simply put, screen time exposure compromises the brain development of young children

Today, young minds are exposed to information, interactions and behaviours they do not have the maturity for; it takes away time for physical play and interactions, all of which can affect them profoundly as they grow up

Higher earners face greater AI exposure, study finds

Click HERE

the uncertainty over AI’s impact on the labour market. .... “profound concerns” this week that generative AI could stoke inequality and disrupt work, including in highly skilled industries.

Jobs most affected included those of blockchain engineers, clinical data managers, public relations specialists and financial quantitative analysts. 

“Knowledge workers process information, and you can think that what these large language models are doing is turbocharging our ability to process information in different ways,

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

France tries suspects over false claims of Brigitte Macron being transgender

Click HERE

A useful idea on how successful women are vilified, causing women to be unwilling to move up to assume positions of power...

Mrs Macron is among a group of influential women – including former US first lady Michelle Obama and New Zealand’s former premier Jacinda Ardern – who have fallen victim to the growing trend of disinformation about their gender or sexuality, aimed at mocking or humiliating them.

For qns on gender, fake news and social media....

Qn:  Evaluate the claim that equality of opportunity for females is a desirable, but unrealistic goal. (Cam. 2016)

People in Singapore reluctant to help strangers due to fear of being scammed: Survey

Click HERE

These holidays, get your child to volunteer. You won’t regret it

Click HERE

volunteering rate in Singapore increased from 22 per cent in 2021 to 30 per cent in 2023

Those who volunteered over the past year were in better physical health, had a more positive outlook on life, and were less likely to exhibit anxiety, depression, or behavioural problems compared with others who did not volunteer.

seeing the living conditions of some of these households was a real eye-opener for us.

the experiences help to nip their sense of entitlement. After all, with the increasing affluence of our society, it can be easy to raise children who feel like they are the centre of the universe, and who expect others to give in to their whims and demands. ...., it may help to re-orientate their self-centredness to other-centredness

volunteerism gives us some respite from the digitally saturated world we live in

 While I can understand that at times we may feel the need to dangle some carrots in front of little ones just to get them to lend a hand, overdoing it might lead to undesirable outcomes, such as training kids to only look for what is in it for them....we send the signal that volunteering is only worthy when there is a quid pro quo – which goes against the whole idea of volunteerism

pick up new skills along the way, such as communication, teamwork and leadership,

 “You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give”, seems to hold true.By giving a portion of our holiday time to meaningful volunteerism, we could be giving our children not only life skills, but also a glimpse into what makes a life lived well.

Qn: ‘People who undertake voluntary work do so more for their own benefit than for the benefit of others.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

Ahead of Paris Olympics, China takes steps to curb unruly sports fans

Click HERE

Behaviour being targeted includes profit-driven activities such as the selling of athletes’ hotel and flight information, and name-calling and online abuse of rival fans and referees.

But if their behaviour infringes on athletes’ privacy, affects their training, or serves private commercial interests, then it should be dealt with seriously

For qns on worshipping idols....

Malaysians’ bumiputera-first policy debate takes on heady mix of health, education and politics

Click HERE

The affirmative programme was meant to raise educational and living standards of the bumiputeras, or sons of the soil: the Malays, Orang Asli and indigenous ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak. Among the benefits for Malays and bumiputeras are reserved spots in public universities and government jobs.

Critics of the half-century-old policy say the policy is behind Malaysia’s brain drain, as bright minority graduates and skilled workers leave as they feel they are second-class citizens.

After the 1990s, it was distorted or abused and left a lot of Malays still poor, and worse still, it left the poor Chinese and Indians relatively ignored. It promoted elitists and cronies in gaining wealth and benefits instead of the poor,...see the NEP as promoting elite Malay cronies rather than lifting poor bumiputeras

For qns on discrimination and equality.....and the weakness of democracy when it comes to implementing unpopular but essential policies for the nation...

Five years of Pofma: How has the law been used to combat fake news?

Click HERE

Need a taxi in Wuhan? It may not have a human driver

Click HERE

censors are limiting online discussion of safety incidents and crashes to restrain public fears about the nascent technology

Although most of the data from cameras and lasers on cars is not uploaded and given to carmakers, the potential for tracking people and mapping sensitive locations has troubled security experts.

Qn: To what extent does the advancement of artificial intelligence threaten humanity?

Exhausted from work? Nearly half of workers in Singapore polled feel the same

Click HERE

47 per cent of the workers in Singapore feel mentally or physically exhausted by their work.

While the mental health score of workers in Singapore has improved over the last two years, the average score still reflects a “highly stressed society”.

workers find themselves exhausted because they are unable to disconnect from work after a workday. Smartphones and an “always on” work culture pressure employees to be available and responsive after hours

For qns on stress and work-life balance....

People in S’pore gave less time and money to causes in 2023; scam fears hurt donations

Click HERE

Thirty per cent of the population volunteered in 2023, up from 22 per cent in 2021.

It found that 32 per cent of participants who did not donate in 2023 said it was due to a fear of scams

having a negative or distrustful perception of charities in general, like believing they would use the funds poorly, could predict less frequent donations.

“I try my best to give back in other ways instead, like volunteering my time with the elderly, as I know I cannot be scammed that way.”

Religion also plays an important role in giving – those who perceive religion to be more important in their lives and those who attend religious services regularly are more likely to give.

“Volunteering needs to be a weekly or monthly activity to make a significant impact.”

Qn: Is there still a place for charity in today’s world? (Cam. 2006)

What the West can learn from Singapore

Click HERE

Singapore’s GDP per capita is more than 4 per cent higher than that in the United States: US$88,500 (S$120,000) compared with US$85,000.

Singapore has reduced inequality significantly – from 0.47 to 0.37 (as measured by the Gini coefficient, a measure by which 0 equals complete equality and 1 represents complete inequality)

the life expectancy in Singapore is longer (83 years) than that in the United States (76 years) and Britain (81 years).

Singaporeans have much less freedom to exercise their political rights. According to Human Rights Watch, Singapore’s “political environment remains overwhelmingly repressive”.

Do they care more about the freedom to speak their minds and support an opposition party, or what Singaporean businessman Calvin Cheng has described as the freedom to walk safely “in the wee hours in the morning, to be able to leave one’s door open and not fear being burgled” and “knowing our children can go to school without fear of drugs, or being mowed down by some insane person with a gun”?

Qn: Consider the view that efficient government is more important than democracy. (Cam. 2011)

Let our children play. It’s fun and it’s good for them

Click HERE

if we were to ask parents about “play”, many may, at the outset, see it as an antithesis to “studying”. The logic is understandable. Time is a scarce resource. Any minute spent on play is a minute less spent on studying. And studying is seen as productive because it is an investment into the future, where success is defined by the benefits that productive work brings. Play, by default, does not “appear productive”. 

playing games teaches young children about social rules and establishes bonds within a community. It allows friendships to form and trust to be engendered, teaches teamwork and helps children manage stress.

Physical play can be seen as a microcosm in which children experience the real world and the interplay of relationships.

When our minds are allowed to wander, we reconnect with our creativity and engage in reflective thought, activities that allow us to transcend a current situation and encourage breakthroughs.

Rising share of women staying single is behind S’pore’s great baby drought

Click HERE

the resident total fertility rate (TFR) falling to below 1 in 2023 for the first time in Singapore’s history....TFR fell to 0.97 in 2023

Since we will have an increasingly small number of women at a marriageable and child-bearing age, and births outside of wedlock are illegitimate in Singapore, the number of citizen births will likely continue to decline if the marriage rates keep declining.

many Singaporeans feel that they do not have to marry, if they cannot find Mr or Miss Right, hence the increasing prevalence of singlehood. Besides, marriage is no longer seen as a required life goal in Singapore

what is harder to achieve is to address the root causes of the beliefs that make having children seem so costly and daunting... Ironically, ...financial incentives may bolster many Singaporeans’ belief that having more money makes them better off – and so these parents feel they cannot afford to stop the daily grind, or they would lose out comparatively.  

‘Lazy people devices’ trending among Chinese youth, but are these more work than they are worth?

Click HERE

This fad comes on the back of a growing “lazy economy” – estimated in past local reports as being worth at least US$2 billion (S$2.7 billion) ...The lazy economy is primarily driven by young Chinese willing to dole out money for a convenience-driven lifestyle.

These “life hacks” could also give people a greater sense of control amid a feeling of being time-starved, stressed or in a depleted state, especially for urbanites,

Perhaps it is not really about laziness, but a universal desire for ease and convenience....This drives the innovation and differentiation in the creation of even more ‘lazy people devices’, as companies seek to cater to consumers’ desire for convenience and efficiency in all aspects of their lives

For qns dealing with issues on efficiency and convenience.....

Humanities and social sciences – everything, everywhere, all at once

Click HERE

it is critical that we recognise social sciences and humanities as indispensable for understanding the dynamics that shape our world, providing the essential “why” that complements the empirical “what” of scientific inquiry.

Science and technology tell us “what” can be done – for example, what vaccines can be produced with known science and technology; what speed and distance can be covered by electric vehicles with what level of reduced carbon footprint when compared with petrol-run vehicles; and what depth of underground construction can be achieved with extant engineering prowess, creating what capacity for housing, offices, and other infrastructure, just to cite a few examples. But science does not tell us why vaccines are embraced by some and rejected by others; why car owners are not rushing to convert to electric vehicles; and why technologies to build underground would not lead to housing shortages in land-scarce cities being addressed more rapidly.

Addressing these issues requires more than technological fixes; it necessitates policy interventions grounded in a thorough understanding of human motivations, social mores, economic dynamics, and cultural symbolisms.

Steve Jobs, at Apple’s launch of the iPad2 in 2011 said, “Technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing.” 

Qn: Consider the view that science solves all problems.

For youth, is it worth sacrificing sleep for study?

Click HERE

The lack of it – either in terms of quality or quantity – can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, poor reflexes, poor concentration, mood changes, irritability, depression and other health issues such as high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.

With consecutive or many nights of little sleep, the brain’s mental ability, sharpness and capacity also slows down. Memory is also affected and any recall function decreases due to cognitive impairment. 

Dream sleep is important in rejuvenation, repair and memory rebuilding of the brain – so the more one dreams, the more refreshed one will be. 

with the advent of social media and gaming, the excess amount of blue-light – the light from screens of digital devices – ... affects their sleep quality and also stimulates neurons in the brain and might be associated with sleeplessness.

Forum: We can modify our me-first mindset by not rushing for every freebie

Click HERE

the “every man for himself” mindset was quintessential of post-war Singapore, which was still very much a third-world country. But as our nation matures, we can afford to move to the next level where success is not measured merely in material terms....“we can afford to leave behind some habits bred in times of scarcity to embrace a culture of sufficiency” 

Upcoming performances by South Korean DJ ‘monk’ at Singapore club cancelled

Click HERE

The two contentious tracks contain elements of Buddhism, such as chants and the sounds of a gong.

elements typically employed by the DJ in his performances, including using religious verses and a Buddhist prayer item, “would have been offensive to our Buddhist community” and that it is “not acceptable”.

Compare with the gay kiss by The 1975 during a concert in KL [see HERE], and how the sexy costumes of singers like Taylor Swift and Madonna may cause them to be banned in strict religious countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, etc....