Amanda and Ying Jia newspaper article response

Singapore is at a crossroads in its management of wild monkeys, and to cull or not to cull these native creatures has emerged as a key question. The public feedback on monkeys, mostly complaints and related to safety and nuisance concerns, fell sharply from 1,860 instances in 2013 to just 750 last year because the Agricultural-Food and Veterinary (AVA) killed about 570 monkeys, about a third of the estimated population at that time. 

I feel that it's inhuman and cruel to kill monkeys even though there are overpopulation. They are living things and have feelings like us even though they cannot communicate like us. Just because they cannot communicate with us, it doesn't mean that we can slaughter them whenever we want to. There are other methods to actually cut down on this animals' population, such as, sending to other countries etc..  Even if they possess harm, that is just because they do not have such high IQ like us and are unable to make rational decision. Whether there are an overpopulation or not, we should not be killing those innocent animal.

Personal Response to "Is illegal downloading stealing?"

Is Illegal downloading really stealing?

Summary:Many millions of people throughout the world will illegally download the fifth season of Game of Thrones,released today by HBO.Legally speaking,what they will be doing is a violation of intellectual property rights,or "piracy".Intellectual property rights are important means by which people gain profit from the effort they put into the production of creative works.They can earn profit in this way and it provides an important incentive for them to engage in socially useful productive activity.

Response:Personally,I feel that people should not download a file of someone's copyrighted property wihtout permission.By downloading something from one's copyrighted property,it is considered illegal and morally wrong.The artists that created the files paid a lot of money and yet people just got the file without any payment.It is certainly very unfair to the artists.It is equivalent to stealing something from a store.Without a doubt,one would face the same music as getting caught stealing in a shop when caught downloading illegal files.

-Jing Chun and Audrey :)

Personal Response to "Is illegal downloading really stealing?"

Summary: This article briefly says that millions of people all over the world are illegally downloading songs, movies and even TV series from the internet. Are these people doing anything morally wrong?  For some, they consider illegal downloading to be a victimless crime and do not think it imposes significant cost one anyone. However, some believe that illegal downloading is indeed stealing as they think that it is similar to common theft, the owner of the property is entirely deprived of it's use as well as his ability to share it and dispose of it as he chooses, his gain your loss.

Personal response: We feel that illegal downloading is stealing. Theft is taking something from someone who is the rightful owner without their permission. It doesn’t matter if the rightful owner keeps an original version or not. If one is to download digital material such as music or movies from an unofficial source without the permission of the owner, it is considered as stealing. The only way you can get the right to download a digital material is via a legal transaction from which the rights owner can make a profit. When the owner produce a digital material, it is their property, in this case “intellectual property”. Property means that the owner has the right to ask something from you in exchange for you gaining access to the music. This may be money transaction, it may also be the requirement that you clearly recognize the artist’s moral right to always be mentioned as the creator of that song. 

- Huiying and Shiqing

Personal Response to the article 'To cull or not to cull pesky monkeys'

Summary: The article states that the for the first time, the complaints about monkeys in Singapore have plunged. The public feedback on monkeys, mostly complaints related to safety and nuisance concerns, fell sharply from 1860 in 2013 to just 750 last year. This was achieved by the extensive culling of the monkeys. In 2013, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority killed about 570 monkeys, about a third of the estimated population. 

Response: I do not agree with the culling of monkeys. It is a cruel way to control the population, and I think that these animals should not be killed. Though the population needs to be managed, culling need not be necessary. There are alternative methods that can be used as well, which could perhaps achieve the same result, such as herding monkeys away from homes and sterilization. Also, if we could all play our part and stop feeding the monkeys, fewer monkeys would be drawn to the residential areas to search for food and there will be lesser problems and nuisance caused.

~Yan Yang & Fiona

My personal response to the article 'To cull or not to cull pesky monkeys'

Summary: Singapore is at its crossroads in its management of wild monkeys-to cull or not to cull. Extensive culling of monkeys lately led to complaints about monkeys falling sharply but some people say it was due to other reasons such as installation of monkey-proof bins etc. They are searching for more data about monkey population, and alternative methods that are more humane such as sterilization.

Personally, I disagree with the culling of monkeys. No matter how much trouble they have caused, we should not resort to such cruel methods as they are also living creatures. They may become endangered in the future. We can use other alternative methods which may achieve the same desired results instead such as installation of monkey-proof bins, campaigns to get people to stop feeding them and monkey-herding. However, this will mean more inconvenience for people living in those areas with wild monkeys. They need to take extra precaution to prevent monkeys from disturbing them. Perhaps they can also keep their food out of sights from the monkeys and try not to provoke them. I think they should take the responsibility of doing those things because they chose to live in that place. In addition, it is heartening to know that complaints about wild monkeys are falling and many Singaporeans do care about animals. 

-Andy, An Ni

"Create buddy system to support scholarship holders."

Brief Summary : 

• Writer thinks that an interview with psychologists can be conducted regularly throughly the duration of scholarship 
• This can be instituted to keep track of students well being 
• Peers are in best position to provide feedback on a scolarship holder mental health 
• Buddy system could provide invaluable support , when scolarship students face serious problems , before situation deteriorates 

Response to significant points : 

  

      I agree with the writer that an interview with psychologists will give a more complete picture of each applicant. This is their field of expertise and they are able to determine the applicant's personality and mental health status much better than a screening test. Definetely, such constant interviews will make it easier to track the applicant's well being. 

    Also, a big part of a student's life is his peers and they are definelty in the correct and best position to provide feedback on the mental health of the scholarship holder. As such, I agree with the buddy system. Peers can indeed provide invaluable support and can help the scholarship holder to face many difficulties that may appear. In school, friends are what we look forward to, they are our family outside of home. They are the first people we would turn to to share our problems and to ask to have fun with. The scholarship holders are under a lot of pressure and their buddy can help to relieve that large amount stress. Thus, the buddy system will definetely benefit the scholarship holders. 

YingYing (06) Sher Yee (21)

To cull or not to cull pesky monkeys

The Straits Times Thursday, April 16

Summary

Singapore is at a crossroads in its managing of wild monkeys, and to cull or not cull these native creatures has emerged as a key question. Complaints on monkeys has dropped from 1860 to 750. This sharp decrease can be due to culling and other reasons like monkey-proof bins and campaigns that encourages people to stop feeding the monkeys.

Response

I think that we should not cull the monkeys. Although monkeys can be a nuisance and cause a lot of trouble, there are many other ways to reduce their population. As mentioned in the articles, monkey-proof bins is one of the best methods in my opinion. When the monkeys are unable to obtain food from the bins, they will usually move to another area. If all residential areas used these kind of bins, the monkeys will move to places like MacRitchie trails and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Thus, the monkeys' population can then be controlled.

Jiakai and Jinhua 

Singapore to get hotter, more extreme weather in future

Debbie (4)

Jiang Rong (12)

Newspaper Article: Singapore to get hotter, more extreme weather in future

Brief summary:

Singapore is expected to be hotter in the future, with extreme weather fluctuations. This is because of climate change and global warming.

Response:

We feel that we should do our best and take actions so that there will be less greenhouse gas emission, thus limiting the effects of climate change. For example, we can make an effort to switch on the fan, instead of the air conditioner. As the weather gets hotter, more and more people will get sick, especially when playing or working outdoors. We should always remember to drink more water to hydrate ourselves so that we will not get heat stoke  in the hot sun. We hope that everyone can do their part in helping to minimize global warming and making the world a better place for everyone to live in.

Article done by. Angela and Cassandra

Stub out smoking near bus stops

This article briefly mentions the prohibition of not being able to smoke within 5m of the bus stop. However, the writer Teo Kok Seah says that having dustbins close to bus stops and hence smokers would dispose of their cigarette butts in the ash trays there. He mentions how we are inadvertently allowing smokers to indulge in their smoking habits. He suggests removing dustbins altogether and conspicuously displaying 'No Smoking' signs.

My response

I agree with the problem spotted by the writer. Smokers who smoke and dispose of their cigarette butts there would increase the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. They would also let the people who want to board the bus inhale the second hand smoke, which is detrimental to their health.  

However, I disagree with his suggestion to remove the dustbins. Although it would reduce the number of smokers throwing their cigarette butts away at the bus stop, it will not stop them from smoking. Also, removing dustbins might be a further motivation for Singaporeans to litter and saying their reason being there was no rubbish bin. All in all, removing dustbins is not a safe option.

Personal Response: "Singapore to get hotter, more extreme weather in future"

Date of publish: The Straits Times, Thursday, 16 April 2015

Summary:

Singapore at the end of this century is expected to be hotter, and have more extreme weather fluctuations. Based on extreme climate projections, temperatures could hit 36.7 degree Celsius. Even if some actions are taken, however, Singapore is still likely to become hotter and have more pronounced contrasts between the wetter and drier months. 

Reader Response:

We feel that yes, it is important for Singapore to take actions with regards to the weather. However, we feel that it actually all comes down to we, Singaporeans' efforts to maintain the environment. We can maintain the environment by not "contributing" to the pollution to the air. For example, smoking, burning of rubbish etc. If there is lesser air pollution, there will be lesser greenhouse gases produced and so, the temperature for the surroundings will not be so high. Other than reducing the chances of global warming, we can also do our part by making small little efforts that can make a huge difference if everyone follow suits. We can apply the 3Rs- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in our daily lives. When going to the supermarket we should use environmental-friendly grocery bags instead of non-biodegradable plastic bags. If there is a need to use them, we must reduce the number of plastic bags we are using and reuse them if possible. If everyone plays their part by saving the environment, we will have a better Singapore to live in. Our home, we take charge!

Lim Ze Hui, Alvina (13)

Kenneth Kwan Yu Heng (30)

App to tell commuters if bus is packed

Summary:

The article that we have chosen is " App to tell commuters if bus is packed ", published on 16 April 2015. The article mentioned that the Land Transport Authority (LTA)'s MyTransport.SG mobile app has a newly released function that will allow the commuters to know in advance whether the bus they are waiting for will have seats available or if it is crowded with passengers.  The authority has also been working with operators to install and test a new centralised system 

to capture in real-time where buses are. 

Personal Response:

I feel that this function is very useful as it will help the commuters decide whether to board the arriving bus or wait for the following one. Also, the new centralised system would be very useful as since it captures in real-time where buses are, it means that it will provide more accurate information of the bus arrival times. This helps the commuters plan what time they should leave the place to catch the bus in time, and they would not have to spend a long time waiting for the bus at the bus stop. In conclusion, the newly released functions of the app are very useful and beneficial towards the commuters. 

Jane and Jordan

Hong Xuan and Jason News Article Response- 16/04

Former RGS student claims she was bullied, sues school

Article
Cheryl Tan claims that she was a victim of bullying  in school as she was supposed to take on double roles in her CCA but was misunderstood by schoolmates as being greedy and selfish. She proceeded to approach the school about this matter but the school took no measures to prevent such things to happen again. She has now sued the school for not protecting her and is seeking compensation for the cost of studying overseas.

Response
After reading the news article, we feel that the school should take the necessary measures to protect it's students. As we all know, bullying can cause a lot of damage to a person and may also leave the person with a trauma. Thus, bullying in school must not be tolerated. It is also mentioned in the article that due to the bullying, it caused the victim's eczema to worsen and the skin on her hand to crack. This caused her much pain and affected her playing of her instrument. Before there is more evidence given in the case, we still believe that a school would not ignore a student being bullied, but we hope for the case to be solved as quickly as possible.

Former RGS student claims she was bullied, sues school

Summary: A former student, Ms Cheryl Tan, is suing Raffles Girls School claiming that the school failed to protect her from being bullied and she was forced to study overseas.
Response: I personally don't think that her claim is valid enough to make the school pay her so much money. The school has already done their part by investigating Ms Tan's complains. However, they found no instance of bullying. Bullying is also not known to cause eczema and therefore cannot be used to support her claim to get the money. She had intention to study overseas all along which makes us more suspicious that this claim may be false. Instead of complaining to teachers, she could have seen the school counsellor who could have better understand and help her more effectively than teachers. She also could have cleared up the misunderstanding with her CCA mates by having a heart to heart talk instead of taking the matter into her own hands.

Ian and Chun Xuan

Chee Wen and Brian

Chee Wen and Brian

Article: Singapore to get hotter, more extreme weather in the future

According to the data in the article, Singapore's temperature will hit a record high about 36.7 deg C. On the other hand, Singapore has very low rainfall from about 241ml in January to 288ml in December. (Below avg) Also, wind patterns are influenced by North-East and South-West monsoons, hence, there are many variations in weather patterns.

I feel that this is quite a big issue for Singapore as our country is already very warm and if it gets any hotter more people will suffer from dehydration and heatstroke.Less rain means that we have less water in water catchment ares, therefore limiting our water supplies.Personally, I take quite a long journey to school every day, and if the weather is very hot, I will feel very uncomfortable and will not be able to stand it.  Furthermore, Singapore is already very humid, when we sweat due to the hot weather, our persipration cannot evaporate quickly, and it will add to our uncomfort.

Personal Response : Domestic recycling rate dips to 19% despite 'Go Green' push

I refer to the article "Domestic recycling rate dips to 19% despite 'Go Green' push", from The Straits Times, Thursday, March 26, 2015.

Summary

Singapore residents are recycling less despite the push to encourage people to go green, including equipping each public housing block with a recycling bin. The domestic recycling rate fell to 19% last year from 22% in 2010, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said. The drop was due to a 30% increase in food waste output over the period. This has caused concerns among environmentalists, who say more needs to be done to engage and educate residents.

Personal Response

In this article, I agree with Mr Eugene Heng, founder and chairman of green group Waterways Watch Society, saying that, "Education is a slow process - if people are not aware of the benefits of recycling, there is no incentive for them to do so." I feel that yes, it is important to recycle, we all know that. But in fact, I feel that the world has to even recycle more. Reason being, if we don't recycle, waste like non-biodegradable plastic would increase and this would occupy even more land spaces and they would always have a limit to it, besides more resources have to be used to produce even more things as there is little recycling. Most importantly, we must know the real reason behind recycling. If people fail to understand this, there is no point in recycling. Recycling is actually the key to reducing the impact on the environment. We recycle is to do our part to reduce waste. For example, I do my part in recycling in school, by recycling unwanted newspaper and bottle caps or tabs. I feel that if everyone does our little part to aid recycling, the pollution and negative impacts would decrease. Thus, everyone has to put in their effort, not only to recycle, but learn the purpose of it.
Therefore, I agree with the environmentalists' point of views - to engage and educate residents more.

Kenneth Kwan 2B (30)

Debate over PSLE not a simple one

Summary

Currently, there is still a debate going on about the necessity of PSLE. Most people think it is necessary, but there is a small number who think it is redundant and unneeded. They provided several reasons like how it makes children undergo unnecessary stress which in turn would affect their health, and that it is not a good gauge on one's ability due to young age. 

RESPONSE

I feel that in the society, intellectual, industrious and honest people are preferred. This brings me to the point on how I think that PSLE is needed. PSLE is the first hurdle you pass that brings you closer to completing your educational journey, such as taking your A levels. Preparing children in handling the stress that they are subjected to, it lets them have the feel of how a national exam would be like. Furthermore, children's brains soak up information like a sponge—it is good for them to begin learning at a young age and test their memory. Hence, I think that PSLE is beneficial for children.

Personal Response

Article: 10 weeks' jail for manager fined for taking bribes

Summary:

A building received bribes from a cleaning company in exchange for not complaining about their services. The manager was found guilty of collecting a total of $22,800 over a period of three years. He was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail on Thursday. 

Response:

I feel that corruption should not be condoned in all kinds of organizations and governments. We should act upon our values of honesty and integrity and should not be tempted by material gains like money. In order to ensure a stable and efficient organization or government, incorruptibility should be practised at all levels of work, be it the Chairman or the deliveryman. 

Personal Reponse

My personal response to the article: Active ageing: Time to step it up

Summary

The government has stepped up boldly to serve more love to older Singaporeans. The government is paying back that population now grown old. The government has taken giant steps for senior citizens but there are still other steps, including some which the people have to take themselves. First the government has to consolidate the gains of our first 50 years. What is needed is the "whole of government" approach, led by the Housing Board and the Ministry Of Health to tackle this problem. Healthcare and eldercare as such, should be community-base and decentralized. The government is also promoting values over people. For example, with a large older population will come a large number of dementia cases. Older people who stay active and engage through participations in programmes organized by the People's Assosciation, voluntary welfare organizations, and faith groups, have a better chance of remaining mentally healthy. Another example would be after helping Singaporeans meet the challenge of the first of "life's knowns", namely change, the government should help older Singaporeans meet that of  another of life's knowns, namely death.

Response

After reading this article, I feel happy that the government is finally paying more attention to the older generation. I personally feel that the elderly are a very important part of our society, they are like the roots of our nation, binding us all together, giving us knowledge and wisdom to aid the society in growth to be a better country.The elderly are the one's that contributed in nation building. These elderly served us during the early years of Singapore’s nationhood in the uniformed services, unions and the community, former political leaders, and others contributed in many other ways and raised the next generation of Singaporeans. Without the older generation, Singapore would not have grown from a third world country to a first world country. In addition, Singapore is currently facing an aging population. Hence, the government, helping to subsidies healthcare can reduce the stress on the current generation that might be struggling to pay for their parents healthcare. As we progress on to be a higher standard of society, we must not forget about the people that help us build our nation. Therefore, I feel that it is a good move for the government to serve more love to older Singaporeans.

Personal Response

My personal response to the article "More Responsible Use of Internet is Needed"

Summary:

This article said that some people had the temerity and the ingratitude to falsify a death notice about Mr Lee Kuan Yew before he actually died and with malicious intent. Freedom of speech does not allow people to do this kind of offensive things as whether or not people like him we cannot deny that he has kept Singapore peaceful and safe. The author also said that there were recent reports of bad behavior by bloggers and influencers. He thinks that more responsible use of the Internet is needed and authorities need to take firm action against the creators of the hoax website.

Reflection:

I agree with the writer that the authorities need to mete out harsh punishments to the creators of the hoax website, especially with the recent reports of bad behavior by bloggers and influencers, to serve as a warning to irresponsible Internet users. I feel that it is indeed appalling to see people making a fake death notice about Mr Lee Kuan Yew. It shows their audacity and their ingratitude to someone who transformed the lives of Singapore for the better. Without him, those perpetrators may not even have the privilege to be using the Internet. They may disagree with his policies, but they should at least show some respect. Majority of Singapore and even leaders around the world wish him well yet they made a fake death notice about him and cause a rather large commotion. Internet users should be more sensitive to others' feelings when they post things on social media and be more responsible.

Personal Response

My personal response to the article "Active ageing: Time to step it up".

Summary
The Government has stepped up to serve more love to older Singaporeans by introducing Medishield Life, which is a universal life insurance and protects all Singaporeans against large health costs. The Government has also taken giant steps to assure older Singaporeans that they can age-in-place, or age together with their peers in a new and dedicated type of senior housing that comes with its own healthcare plan. Healthcare and eldercare, as such, should be community- based and decentralised. The Government are also trying to promote value in the older people, as well as investing in them by launching the SkillsFuture Credit initiative which is announced in the Budget in order to promote life-long learning.

Response
Firstly, i feel that the government are very responsible for the well-being of the people. As we have an age-ing population, they have stepped up to provide the older generation with many privileges. Secondly, i feel that Singapore should promote the mindset in people that there is value in older people. The society should value them for their accumulated skills, knowledge, and wisdom. Lastly, the country should also continue to invest in older persons by allowing them to take courses and remain active and engaged. As the saying goes, "Lifelong learners, caring citizens", it is never too late to learn and we should care for our society.