Commentary: How can Singapore keep up with the unique needs of prodigies?
EMPOWERING ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CO-CREATION
Beyond the classroom, we can engage fast learners as co-creators in their educational journey. We can tap into their unique perspective as students and involve them in designing learning activities, games, and even assignments.
This approach is not often explored outside of higher education, and I have discovered that we can empower our students to be effective co-creators.
I have personally mentored and taught both university and secondary school students with fundamental concepts in education, lessons in human behaviour, and ideas in game design. They learn empathy while trying to identify and problem-solve the various learning difficulties their peers encounter, and they learn to work better with their peers and teachers – once again, these are meaningful opportunities that would not have been available for their growth if we focus solely on accelerating their academic journey.
Through such co-creative collaborations, my students have created exciting learning games and activities, many of which I now use in my own classes. These students feel a great sense of achievement knowing that they have contributed in a significant way.
Not only do these co-creative interactions enrich my students, but they have also profoundly impacted my growth and shaped me as an educator.
I learnt that what may be meaningful to me may not always appear meaningful to them – their sharing helps me to bridge my world with theirs, so that I am better able to relate with them and engage them in a way that they feel is truly meaningful to their learning experience.
This highlights the immense potential in our students and the transformative impact of keeping them engaged by tapping on their talents and insights in a meaningful way, regardless of age, background or ability.
Rare leatherback turtle found dead in fishing net
PUBLISHED : 24 Jan 2024 at 05:00
A leatherback sea turtle was found dead on a beach in Phangnga this week after getting entangled in a fishing net.
Athapol Charoenshunsa, chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), was alerted by the chief of Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park that the carcass of the female turtle had washed ashore on Monday.
The decaying turtle, measuring 1.8 metres in length, was found on a beach near the national park protection unit in Thai Muang district with its flippers and neck entangled in a fishing net, which authorities believe caused its death.
The national park is conducting the autopsy in conjunction with Sireetarn Marine Endangered Animals Rescue Centre.
Deputy Prime Minister Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, who also serves as the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, has instructed the DNP and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to regulate the use of fishing equipment among local fishermen.
“A DNA test will be conducted to identify whether the dead turtle was the same turtle known as Mae Thai Mueang,” Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, an expert from the Marine and Coastal Resources Research & Development Institute, posted on his Facebook page.
He said three turtles had been spotted laying eggs in or near the national park this year. They include two known as Mae Thai Mueang and Mae Lampee.
Globally, leatherback turtles are regarded as a vulnerable species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In Thailand, leatherback turtles, which are commonly seen laying eggs on the western beaches of Phangnga and Phuket, are a protected species under the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act 2019.
Court rules on Pita case on Wednesday
Former PM candidate’s fate hangs in the balance
All eyes will be on Wednesday’s Constitutional Court ruling on the media shareholding case against Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP).
If the court finds Mr Pita ran for office while knowing he held shares in a media business — in this case, the broadcaster iTV — he could lose his MP status.
Komsan Phokong, a legal expert, said on Tuesday that if the court rules in favour of Mr Pita, he will be reinstated as an MP and eligible to be nominated as a prime ministerial candidate again.
However, Mr Komsan said he believed the court is likely to rule against Mr Pita, given its rulings on similar shareholding cases, such as the one against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the former leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP), a precursor to the MFP.
The Constitutional Court ruled in November 2019 to disqualify Mr Thanathorn as an MP over 675,000 shares he held in V-Luck Media Co when the FFP submitted the names of its party-list MP candidates to the Election Commission (EC).
Mr Komsan also said that the ruling could potentially lead to the dissolution of the MFP, which has its own regulations prohibiting party members from holding media shares.
“If Mr Pita is stripped of his MP status, this will mean that the MFP had been run by a leader not qualified to be a party member from the beginning,” Mr Komsan said.
In light of this, the MFP could be disbanded and its party executives banned for ten years under the organic law on political parties, he said.
The MFP on Tuesday released a video clip stating that Mr Pita, who is now the party’s chief adviser, will survive the media shareholding case against him and will be reinstated as an MP.
In the clip, the party cited the results of opinion polls, which suggested that Mr Pita and the MFP were very popular and claimed that a plot had been hatched to remove Mr Pita as an MP and prevent his bid for prime minister.
The party also insisted that iTV is now defunct as its contract was revoked by the government in 2007.
The EC brought the case before the charter court despite an EC sub-committee recommendation that it drop the charge that Mr Pita violated Section 151 of the Election Act.
Under Section 151, those who apply to run in an election knowing they are not eligible are liable to a prison term of one to 20 years and a fine of 20,000-200,000 baht. They are also banned from running in an election for 20 years.
Mr Pita stands accused of being ineligible to contest the election because he held 42,000 shares in iTV, which was believed by some critics to be a functioning media company when he registered his candidacy for the May 14 election.
Mr Pita denies the allegation, saying he only served as executor of the family’s inherited shares.
The constitution bars individuals with media shareholdings from running for public office.
Mr Pita has said the complaint was filed for political reasons.
The former MFP leader has argued that the 42,000 shares were part of his late father’s estate, which he managed as the executor. He said the shares have since been transferred to his relatives.
The court has suspended Mr Pita as an MP pending a ruling on his iTV media shareholding case.
iTV, an independent broadcaster founded in the 1990s, stopped broadcasting in 2007, and Thai PBS took over its licence.
The company was delisted from the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2014.
Furthermore, its business registration remains active only because it is embroiled in a dispute with the government over unpaid concession fees.
MFP backs Pheu Thai on 2 charter referendums
PUBLISHED : 24 Jan 2024 at 04:51
The Move Forward Party (MFP) has voiced support for Pheu Thai’s proposal to hold two referendums on charter amendment and insisted that members of a charter drafting assembly must be elected.
Parit Wacharasindhu, a Move Forward list-MP and party spokesman, said on Tuesday that the party agreed with deputy Pheu Thai leader Chusak Sirinil, who suggested that only two referendums should be enough.
The MFP also agreed with Pheu Thai’s call for a charter drafting assembly to comprise elected members, though the parties still have different opinions on the drafting assembly’s power to amend Chapters 1 and 2 of the charter, Mr Parit said.
Chapter 1 contains sections defining Thailand as a single, indivisible kingdom with a democratic regime with the King as head of state, while Chapter 2 stipulates sections pertaining to royal prerogatives.
He said that the parties must join hands to convince senators and some parties in the coalition to support the move to amend Section 256 of the constitution to allow the formation of the new assembly without the need to hold a referendum first.
Mr Parit said that some senators insist that any proposed charter amendments must be put to a vote in a referendum before they can be tabled to parliament.
Mr Chusak earlier said that Pheu Thai’s working panel on charter amendment has concluded that only two referendums should be held as this will help save money and time.
The proposal to revise the military-sponsored 2017 Constitution, which was one of the ruling party’s election pledges, is listed as a priority issue for the coalition government.
The referendum is a thorny issue thanks to a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling that the public must approve any move to amend the entire charter. If a rewrite is approved, another referendum must be held to approve the content.
The government previously set up a committee to draw up new guidelines for holding a referendum to find common ground on how the 2017 Constitution should be amended.
It is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
Mr Phumtham’s panel recently approved a proposal to hold three charter amendment referendums and decided that only one question would be asked in the first.
The question will be whether or not voters agree with the proposal to amend the charter, except Chapters 1 and 2.
Tourism minister has 6 proposals to boost Asean unity
PUBLISHED : 24 Jan 2024 at 04:49
Six proposals by the Minister of Tourism and Sports to build up regional partnerships in promoting Asean tourism and be represented in the upcoming meetings of Asean tourism ministers have been approved by the cabinet.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said on Tuesday that a cabinet meeting held in Ranong had given the green light to six documents proposed by the ministry.
The documents will be presented at the 27th Meeting of Asean Tourism Ministers in Vientiane, Laos, tomorrow and Thursday and at three similar meetings.
The first proposal relates to the meeting in Laos. It comes as a statement and aims to promote tourism in Asean countries under the concept of “Quality and Responsible Tourism — Sustaining Asean’s Future”.
The second, third and fourth documents are statements about the participation in three meetings between Asean and other countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, India and Russia, with the goal of fostering international cooperation to restore and boost the tourism industries of those participating nations.
The fifth document is a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Asean and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
The purpose of this document is to improve the partnership between the two organisations to facilitate tourism initiatives together.
The last document is the draft of long-term action plans to allow sustainable growth in Asean tourism, preserve the environment and culture, adjust industry standards to promote innovation and share best practices for promoting tourism sustainably.
China mulls market rescue as tears of regret flow – Asia Times
After falling 12.2% this year, Hong Kong’s stocks rebounded 2.63% on Tuesday on news that Beijing may mobilize about 2 trillion yuan (US$278 billion) through offshore entities to support beaten-down Chinese stocks.
The Hang Seng Index, the benchmark of Hong Kong markets, increased 392 points to close at 15,353 on Tuesday. But it is still down 32% from 22,566 a year earlier – and sob stories are plentiful and heart-rending.
For comparison, Japan’s Nikkei 225 from the end of last year grew 9.7% to 36,517 on Tuesday. It has risen 33.8% over the last one year. The Taiwan Weighted Index has eased 0.3% to 17,874 this year but it has gained 19.7% over the past year.
The Dow Jones Index closed at 38,001 on Monday, up 13% from a year ago, while the S&P 500 gained 22.7% to 4,850.
The rebound in Hong Kong stocks came after Bloomberg reported that Chinese authorities are considering a rescue package backed by offshore money to boost sentiment in the H-share markets.
The report also said Beijing has already put aside 300 billion yuan of local funds that would be used to invest in A-shares.
Some analysts said Hong Kong stocks’ decline in recent weeks came partly because investors were disappointed by a potential delay of the rate cuts in the United States. They said Hong Kong shares were also dragged down by a slower-than-expected recovery of China’s consumption markets.
Linus Yip, chief strategist at First Shanghai Securities, told mainland media that there will be support for the Hang Seng Index at about 14,600 points within the short run, but the future trend of Hong Kong stocks will depend on the Chinese economy and people’s consuming power.
Kenny Wan, head of investment strategy at KGI Asia, said the Hang Seng Index was affected by different factors, including the US interest rates and geopolitics. He said many investors have adopted a wait-and-see approach and hoped that Beijing would unveil some supportive measures.
Meanwhile, some veteran investors blamed Chinese policy makers’ inconsistency in fighting against deflation.
Sob story #1: big mistake
Chua Soon Hock, founder and chief investment officer of Singapore-based Asia Genesis Asset Management, said Tuesday that his firm decided to close its Asia Genesis Macro Fund and return money to clients.
The fund, launched in 2020, declined 18.8% in the first few weeks of January, Chua said in a letter to investors seen by Reuters.
He admitted that he had made a big mistake by increasing long positions in Hong Kong and China and short ones in Japan. He said he thought that China would outperform Japan this year after being sold off for the past three years while Japan would correct after a 30% gain in 2023.
“I still do not understand the inconsistency of China policymakers’ not fighting against deflation, leading to continued loss of market confidence and prolonged bear market,” he wrote in the letter.
“I have lost my knowledge, trading and psychological edge,” he wrote. “I have reached the stage whereby my confidence as a trader is lost.”
He said his past experience is no longer valid and instead it is working against him.
Chua said in a post on LinkedIn last month that 2024 would be the beginning of a multi-year bull market for Chinese stocks. Investors had anticipated that the People’s Bank of China would cut the rate for medium-term lending facility (MLF) on January 15 but it did not.
Next spring
On January 12, the National Bureau of Statistics said China’s consumer price index (CPI) decreased by 0.3 percent year-on-year in December 2023. The figure has been declining for the third straight month.
State-owned Xinhua News Agency said many foreign media were wrong to jump to the conclusion that China has slid into deflation, and even hyped the possibility of a long-term deflation.
It said the CPI’s low-range performance is mainly a structural issue. It said the core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, has posted a rather stable year-on-year growth in 2023.
Hu Xijin, a “patriotic” political commentator and the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, tried to boost people’s confidence in the stock markets by buying A-shares with his own money.
Initially, the newbie injected 100,000 yuan in his investment account last June, and gradually invested the amount to 480,000 yuan.
On Monday, when the Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.7% to 2,754, the lowest since April 2020, Hu said he felt sad that he lost 10,444 yuan in a single day. He said he has so far suffered a loss of 71,024 yuan, or 17.4% of his money.
He said it’s urgent for policy makers to launch supportive measures to boost market sentiment. Last month, when his accumulative loss exceeded 42,000 yuan, he said he still believed the Winter of China’s stock markets will soon pass while the Spring will come.
Prepare for the worst
On Monday, a regular State Council meeting chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the government will increase the quality and investment value of listed firms and encourage mid-and-long-term capital to enter and stabilize the stock markets.
The call was followed by Bloomberg’s report about the potential launch of a rescue package to support Hong Kong stocks. In fact, Chinese media said some state-owned funds had already entered the A-share markets last week.
However, Lau Kwan-ming, a Hong Kong financial writer, said in an article on January 16 that once US and European stock markets had started to correct from current high levels, the Hang Seng Index likely would drop farther, perhaps to as low as 12,000.
He said investors should prepare for the worst – a market crash similar to the ones seen in the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998 and the Global Financial Crisis in 2008.
In a two-day meeting chaired by Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping on December 11 and 12, the Central Economic Work Conference said the government should direct public opinion to promote the bright side of the Chinese economy.
On December 7, Liu Jipeng, dean of the Capital Finance Institute of China University of Political Science and Law, said he had left his position. His sudden departure came after he’d said in a forum on December 1 that individual investors should avoid entering A-share markets as some outdated listing rules needed to be changed.
Read: Chinese stocks slump after Moody’s outlook cut
Follow Jeff Pao on Twitter at @jeffpao3
Read: Chinese stocks slump after Moody’s outlook cut
Follow Jeff Pao on Twitter at @jeffpao3
Surge in cases leads to over 10 fatalities
PUBLISHED : 24 Jan 2024 at 04:26
Cases of people catching the JN.1 sub-variant of the Omicron Covid-19 variant rose last week, resulting in an increase in hospitalisations and more than 10 deaths.
Most hospitalised patients were elderly and did not receive a vaccine or boosters.
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) said there were 718 new reported Covid-19 cases, a daily average of 102 new cases, and 11 deaths in the week ending Jan 20.
The week earlier, there were, on average, 93 new cases daily. The DDC said there were four deaths due to Covid-19 that week.
Out of the 718 cases last week, 209 patients suffered severe pneumonia, with 149 requiring endotracheal intubation.
The DDC said all of the deceased last week belonged to the “608 at-risk” group of elderly people with a chronic disease. Six of those who died were unvaccinated, while the others received only two vaccine doses.
According to information from the Department of Medical Sciences, the Covid-19 variant currently spreading in Thailand is Omicron’s JN.1 sub-variant.
Symptoms of JN.1 include coughing, a sore throat, aches and pains, headache and a runny nose.
Health officials say there are no signs indicating that JN.1 is more severe than the original Omicron variant.
On Dec 5 last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the elderly with a chronic disease or dysfunctional immune system get a Covid-19 vaccine every six to 12 months to reduce the risk of severe illness and death.
The DDC has stressed that patients in the at-risk 608 group with a cold and a positive antigen-test-kit (ATK) test result must wear a face mask and see a doctor for treatment as soon as possible.
Those ill with the virus can contact the DDC for more information by calling 1422.
Assault sees teachers relieved of caretaking
PUBLISHED : 24 Jan 2024 at 04:00
RANONG: The government has agreed to end teacher caretaking duties during after-school hours following an assault on a teacher in Chiang Rai on Saturday.
According to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, the move was approved during the cabinet’s mobile meeting at Ranong Civic Centre on Tuesday after a primary school teacher was attacked by a 38-year-old man during her shift.
Caretaking responsibilities for teachers were first endorsed in a resolution published on July 6, 1999, by the then-cabinet. According to the resolution, every employee at a civil agency premises, including schools, was required where necessary to take on caretaking responsibilities to safeguard their workplaces outside working hours — at night, at weekends and on holidays.
Deputy Education Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the cabinet had reached an agreement on cancelling this requirement due to the availability of security-related technology, such as CCTV, which was not as freely available when the resolution was first issued.
However, the rehiring of 14,000 school janitors nationwide was not discussed. Mr Surasak said his ministry was ordered to conduct more studies before submitting its findings at the next cabinet meeting.
Mr Surasak said local administrative agencies and police will now take on caretaking duties outside of teaching hours.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he believed it should, in fact, be the job of security agencies to suppress any crime and investigate damage resulting from incidents at schools that happen at night or at weekends, he added.
“Teachers should not be responsible for safeguarding their school from any criminal conduct. That is a responsibility of police officers and local administrators, not teachers,” said Mr Anutin.
Scam syndicate allegedly involved in ‘fake friend’ calls busted in Singapore-Malaysia police operation
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Royal Malaysia Police have dismantled a syndicate believed to be involved in “fake friend” call scams targeting Singaporeans.
SPF said in a press release on Tuesday (Jan 23) that Malaysian police raided two apartments in Johor on Jan 16 and arrested five Malaysian men aged between 19 and 36.
Preliminary investigations revealed the syndicate started their scam operations last June and is believed to be responsible for more than 500 police reports made, with total losses of more than S$1.4 million (US$1 million).
The five men were extradited to Singapore on Tuesday and will be charged with conspiracy to cheat on Wednesday.
If found guilty, they can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
From January to November 2023, more than 6,300 people fell prey to “fake friend” call scams, with total losses amounting to at least S$21.1 million.
SPF and Malaysian police have collaborated and shared information on these scams.
Mr David Chew, director of SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), thanked the Johor police “for their strong support and commitment in tackling transnational crime syndicates”.
“The Singapore Police Force has been working closely with the Royal Malaysia Police to detect and cripple these transnational scam syndicates who prey on our citizens,” he said.
“We will continue to take tough action against individuals who perpetuate e-scams even if they are based overseas.”
Such “fake friend” scams typically involve scammers contacting victims through text messages or phone calls, pretending to be someone they know, and then asking for financial help.
SPF reminded members of the public of the threat posed by such scams and to be wary of such calls.
To prevent falling prey to such scams, the police advised members of the public to take steps such as installing the ScamShield mobile app, setting up transaction limits for internet baking and enabling two-factor authentication.
Individuals should check for scam signs with official sources – such as the Scam Alert website – and call the anti-scam helpline, as well as verify any requests with family members and friends through alternative means like physical meet-ups and video calls.
Immigration police nab two foreign fraudsters
Indonesian and South Korean also charged with overstaying visas
PUBLISHED : 23 Jan 2024 at 21:14
Immigration police say they have arrested an Indonesian man wanted in his home country in connection with a foreign-exchange fraud that cheated victims out of the equivalent of 320 million baht.
Putra Wibowo, 39, was arrested at a house in Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi that had been purchased in his wife’s name, said Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of Immigration Bureau.
He was charged initially with overstaying his visa in Thailand by two years. He is also the subject of an Interpol Red Notice in connection with an arrest warrant issued by authorities in Indonesia, and further proceedings are pending.
In another recent case, authorities arrested a South Korean man at a condominium in Muang district of Chiang Mai and charged him with overstaying his visa after entering the country last year.
Officers subsequently learned from the South Korean embassy that Hyunggu Min, 43, was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice in connection with a 12-million-baht fraud case in his home country, said Pol Maj Gen Phanthana.