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South China Morning Post
16-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
The Lens: Trump's isolationist turn threatens Ukraine in war with Russia
If you are interested in being a regular contributor for The Lens, please apply by clicking this link. Thoughts from last week Claudia Loh, 16, Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School Claudia Loh says Trump's isolationist policy threatens Ukraine and risks realigning global dynamics. Photo: Handout US President Donald Trump is becoming increasingly harsh towards Ukraine in his pursuit of an isolationist policy. This approach is similar to the US' stance before World War I when America refrained from involving itself in European affairs, hence the term 'isolationist.' Through his policies, it appears that Trump aims to revive an 'America First' mentality, moving away from the policing role that his predecessors were often accused of embodying. He has repeatedly stated his desire to withdraw funding from Ukraine. This would have severe consequences for Ukraine, as the US has been its primary source of financial support since the start of the war. Trump's approach suggests he seeks a swift conclusion to the conflict by any means necessary, contradicting previous American foreign policies. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict could result in two global superpowers aligning on one side while other nations scramble to respond on the opposite side. The US is considered a global superpower and holds a lot of influence. Trump is a strong, commanding presence, and he is not afraid to speak what he believes is the truth. Any action from the US could be damaging to Ukraine's future. America is the world's dominant economic and military power; other countries naturally want to trade with them, so they may follow their lead. Cutting off financial support is a harsh action; even if it benefits the US, it could mean the loss of millions of lives on the Ukrainian front. Regardless of whether this would lead to a quick end of the war, the morality of the action should be considered. Read up on the issue in last week's The Lens Read and observe Singapore may legislate caning for severe scam offences after record financial losses. Photo: Shutterstock Singapore will consider caning as punishment for serious scam-related offences as it steps up enforcement action following record losses. Residents in the city state lost at least S$1.1 billion (HK$6.41 billion) to scams in 2024, a 70 per cent increase from the year before, as per the Singapore Police Force. 'We will consider ... caning to be prescribed for certain scam-related offences, recognising the serious harm they can cause,' Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling said during a parliamentary debate. Sun was responding to a question by Member of Parliament Tan Wu Meng on whether caning should be legislated for serious scam-related offences. According to local media outlet CNA, Tan had earlier called for the legislation. 'We must send a clear message to scammers, the syndicates and those who abet them: If you mess with our people, make off with the life savings of Singaporeans, scam Singaporeans, we must do everything in our power to teach the scammers a lesson they won't forget,' he said. Sun warned that scammers had upgraded their playbook even though several protective measures were already in place in the banking industry. 'They have started asking victims to convert their money to cryptocurrencies prior to performing the transfers, thereby evading our banking safeguards,' she said, adding that cryptocurrency-related cases accounted for nearly 25 per cent of all scam losses. She advised Singaporeans 'to steer clear of cryptocurrencies'. Official data showed that investment scams accounted for the bulk of scam-related losses last year at 28.8 per cent, followed by job scams at 14 per cent. Meanwhile, government official impersonation scams accounted for 13.6 per cent of losses. Staff writers, agencies Research and respond What impact, if any, would caning have on the persistence of scams in Singapore? Do you believe that caning is an ethical form of punishment? What additional measures can the Singaporean government take to address the increase in scams?
South China Morning Post
02-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
The Lens: Singapore's anti-discrimination law fails to protect LGBTQ workers
If you are interested in being a regular contributor for The Lens, please apply by clicking this link. Thoughts from last week Claudia Loh, 16, Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School Claudia Loh says education is important to help change attitudes around gender identity. Photo: Handout I think gender identity and sexual orientation were not included in Singapore's new law against discrimination in the workplace because the general atmosphere of the world, especially in Asia, is more conservative. The older generation tends to think gender identity and sexual orientation are choices that people make for themselves. For them, any discrimination would be warranted since a person's choices around gender and sexuality were conscious decisions. However, this is not the case. One cannot decide one's sexual orientation, and it is perfectly fine to express yourself however you wish in terms of gender. However, the older generation still makes most of the laws, which leads to a lack of protection for those who face prejudice. Education is paramount if the Singaporean government and companies want to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for the queer community. Thanks to misinformation, being queer is still seen as abnormal and is heavily stigmatised in society. The government could do better to educate the public on the queer community – they simply identify differently from what is considered 'normal'. These people are humans, just like everyone else. This could be done by inclusivity, with more TV shows accurately portraying queer characters to allow more representation and increased understanding. Queer voices should be encouraged in society in order to erase stigma, for example, in the form of literature, to better understand and appreciate equality. Also, the government should create laws and regulations to enforce equal treatment for those in the queer community, making it illegal to discriminate based on gender identity or sexuality. Read and observe Hippos are known to be fiercely territorial animals. Photo: TNS A New Jersey man whose wife was killed in a horrific hippopotamus attack last year during a safari in Africa is suing the US company that arranged the trip, alleging it failed to ensure their safety and did not adequately screen and supervise the tour guides. The couple were on a guided walk in Zambia in June when a hippo charged out of the water, grabbed Lisa Manders by its mouth and crushed her head and body, according to the lawsuit filed against African Portfolio, a safari tour company. The company denies the allegations. The lawsuit alleges that the tour guides – including at least one armed with a rifle – walked away without helping. Lisa Manders, 70, suffered catastrophic injuries and died shortly after, the lawsuit says. Paul Slager, a lawyer representing Craig Manders, said: 'There are basic safety standards that businesses are expected to follow ... And those were not followed.' Slager said the lawsuit seeks damages that have not yet been determined and accountability for the death. The company's lawyer, Rodney Gould, said it was not negligent or reckless in connection with the death. He said African Portfolio only arranged the lodging, adding that the owners of the lodging, Chiawa Safaris in Zambia, provided the tour guides. 'It's a horrible tragedy when somebody goes on one of these trips and is injured or killed,' Gould said. 'I think it's important to understand what African Portfolio's role in this is. It's a tour operator. It arranges trips.' African Portfolio said Chiawa arranged the walking safari and guests were accompanied by an experienced and highly trained guide, a ranger and an armed scout. It said Chiawa told authorities that safety measures were implemented before the attack and 'repeated warnings' were issued to guests to return to the safety of the vehicle 'during the incident'. Associated Press Research and respond Do you think African Portfolio should take responsibility for the incident? If so, how? How can safaris better protect their participants so that incidents like these don't happen?
