Lack of social capital a barrier for Malay community despite signs of rising educational mobility: Study

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Relate to how meritocracy can entrench the position of those already at the top of society by conferring advantages to their children in the form of social capital....This serves to undermine the 'merit' criterion as a fair yardstick for reward, coz the possession of merit (in this case, education qualifications) is no guaranteee one will be rewarded with a job or promotion since social capital comes into play.

while some in the community have attained higher academic qualifications, “social capital deficit” remains. Social capital refers to the resources and advantages one draws from their social relationships, including access to information, trust and recognition

Those with stronger social capital, such as access to mentors, professional family members or industry networks, were better able to navigate educational and career pathways, while others relied primarily on formal qualifications and personal effort.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in September 2025 pledged to “broaden meritocracy” to keep the escalator of mobility moving, after President Tharman Shanmugaratnam identified social mobility as a top priority for the new term of government.

the importance of enablers like social capital, where access to networks can greatly influence the translation of skills and education into meaningful career advancements.

Qn: To what extent is meritocracy an effective way to enhance social mobility in your society? (RI 2023 Yr 5 CT)

Meta’s embrace of AI is making its employees miserable

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What employees typed on their computer, how they moved their mouse, where they clicked and what they saw on their screen would be tracked, Meta said. The goal, the company said, was to capture employee data so Meta’s artificial intelligence models could learn “how people actually complete everyday tasks using computers”

The company is also tracking employees’ computer work to feed and train its AI models. At the same time, it is cutting jobs to offset its AI spending, saying in April that it would slash 10 per cent of its workforce

Mr Zuckerberg said Meta was not gathering data on employees for “surveillance or performance tracking or anything like that”. Instead, the data would train AI on “how smart people use computers to accomplish tasks”, he said.

For concerns about AI....

How AI is transforming China’s entertainment industry

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

‘Baited’, then sold: Telegram group circulating nude images of S’pore men

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Good example of how sharing data causes one to lose control over how it will be used, given the faceless nature and anonymity of users online.....

The unlawful circulation of obscene photos and videos on Telegram involving Singaporeans has happened before, with the most prolific case involving a group called SG Nasi Lemak....The group mostly dealt in intimate photos and videos of Singaporean women, and four suspects were arrested in October 2019.

Qn: 'It is impossible to protect one’s privacy today.’ Do you agree? (NYJC 2025 J2 TP)

Free-to-air events, swanky stadium: What HK’s sports push is really about

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has a lot to do with boosting the economy and uniting society.

All these achievements serve to ignite people’s interest, encourage them to try more sports themselves, and also provide a solid fan base for mega events

Hong Kong society was left deeply divided after prolonged anti-government protests in 2019.....campaign to promote and develop the city’s sporting sector is in part meant to foster social cohesion, boost morale and strengthen the people’s sense of national identity

Participating in sports events – especially when the local representative team gets a good result – boosts the unity of the entire society,...For the Hong Kong audience, seeing our teams compete against the country’s best (like in the National Games) gives them a sense of belonging as a part of the country, but also the sense that Hong Kong is a unique part of our country

(A public-private partnership) can help us bundle sporting events with shopping, dining and cultural tours. By treating sports as a core pillar of our city’s branding, we attract high-spending international visitors

Qn: Does sport merit the vast sums of money that are spent on it? (Cam. 2010)

Filipino pageant contestant struts in ‘non-pageant body’, sparking debate over male beauty

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Interesting contrast if u compare HERE

For issues on gender protrayal in the media....

Is AI making us artificially intelligent, but unable to analyse?

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Note how the closing echoes the opening...

Let’s consider an analogy from the world of aviation. As autopilot systems became sophisticated enough to handle most phases of flight, pilots were still trained rigorously, still highly capable, but they were flying less and managing systems more. Over time, flying was no longer second nature to them and when things went wrong, some pilots, particularly those who had spent their entire careers in the automation era, struggled to take over manually. Not because they weren’t smart enough, but because they hadn’t been doing it enough.
Skill, it turns out, is not something you have. It is something you keep doing.

For issues on AI's impact.....

‘Clearly me’: AI Chinese drama accused of stealing faces

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AI’s ability to mimic real people has sparked global concern for actors’ jobs, and over such deepfakes being used for scams and propaganda.

upset by the “ugly” portrayal of his likeness as a “sleazy” antagonist in the show. “Will it have an impact on me, on my job, on my future work opportunities?

Using AI to slash costs may be tempting in the fast-growing, multibillion-dollar microdrama market. But featuring someone in a demeaning way without permission “may constitute an infringement of both portrait rights and reputation rights

For problems with AI....