MJC ZENITH May 2015

ZENITH May 2015 General Paper @ Meridian JC Page 2 of 40 ZENITH 2015 ZENITH’s first issue for 2015 brings you an exciting spread of the old and new! Look out for a bumper collection of students’ essays, on e of our favourite staple sections. J2s, still uncertain of how to improve on P1 reason ing skills? Then don’t miss our ever-handy skills section on dealing with P1 questi ons with criticisms. This issue’s Highlight section also features the winning entries for the Library’s Print and Screen competition. Congratulations to the J3s on their outstanding res ults, some of whose essays are featured here! In the meantime, J1s and J2s, all th e best for your upcoming Mid-Year Exams! You are most welcome to send feedback and suggestio ns in enhancing future issues of ZENITH. Editorial Team ___________________ Mrs Janice Lok Miss Hafizah Amid Ms Farhana Hajiah Najimudin Mr Max Cheong Miss Vanessa Tan

ZENITH May 2015 General Paper @ Meridian JC Page 3 of 40 …in ZENITH Essay Selection How far, in your society, should unpopular views be open to discussion? [2013 A levels Q12] Consider the view that mathematics possesses not on ly truth, but supreme beauty. [2012 A levels Q7] ‘Contemporary music has no artistic value.’ Is this a fair comment? [2008 A levels Q10] ‘The world would be a better place if everyone spok e the same language.’ Discuss. [2006 A levels Q7] ‘Women will never enjoy the same rights as men.’ Do you agree? [2006 A levels Q6] How far is your country prepared for future crises? [2006 A levels Q6] Is there still a place for penmanship in the digita l age? [2014MJCJ2MYEQ8] Is interdependence among nations really beneficial? [2014MJCJ2MYEQ12] Consider the appeal and value of superheroes today. [MJC2014JC1PEQ10] ‘Books are always more powerful than their screen adaptations.’ What is your view? [MJC2014JC1PEQ1] Is stress really harmful? (MJCJ2MBT13Q8) Do media reports on scandals do more harm than good ? [MJCJ2MBT15Q3] ‘The best thing that schools can give to their stud ents is self-confidence.’ Do you agree? [MJCJ2MBT15Q8] To what extent do medical advancements complicate o ur lives? [MJCJ2MBT15Q6] The world would be a better place if everyone had t he same opinion. Discuss. [MJCJ2MBT15Q5] 4 6 7 10 11 14 16 19 22 24 26 27 29 32 34 Brush Up ! Ways to Refute an Insult, Criticism or Harsh Judgement 36 Zenith Highlights Print and Screen Competition Entries 38

ZENITH May 2015 General Paper @ Meridian JC Page 4 of 40 ZENITH Essay Selection Editor’s advice to students: While you may find the examples and points in these essays useful in answering other questions, please be judicious in using such information in a manner that is relevant to the POC of the question you are answering. How far, in your society, should unpopular views be open to discussion? [2013 A levels Q12] ingaporeans, as with the people in many other societies, have a routine of going with the general consensus and doing very little or nothing to acknowledge or appreciate unpopular views, unless of course the issue is something of personal concern to them. After all, as pragmatists may question, what are the benefits of considering unpopular views, given their lack of support from the masses? Also, how will acknowledging, what more discussing, these unpopular views help Singapore’s society to grow and mature? Upon considering these questions, I nevertheless believe that it would be highly beneficial for my society, Singapore, if unpopular views are open to discussion. The political establishment here takes the view that in a multicultural, multiracial society such as Singapore which has faced violence and bloodshed due to racial distrust and resentment in the past, it would be more beneficial to have unpopular views closed to discussion and censored to prevent conflict from occurring. We see this present particularly for racial and religious insults and comments. The Media Development Authority (MDA) would first block the offending page and locate and charge the culprit responsible for the comments. An unfortunate example is Amy Cheong, a former NTUC membership assistant director, who in 2012 commented about the noise generated by Malay weddings in the void decks and said that they should just save up and get a “real” wedding at a hotel. In less than 24 hours, her post was removed, she was given a stern warning by the police and she was fired from her job (which was vacant two hours later for job applications). Indeed, such censoring of views may be seen as justified as it upholds the overall peace of the society. Nevertheless, upon deeper examination, is not such a form of treatment for unpopular views a superficial and temporary solution? In not questioning why such views arise or the rationale of such an argument, it leaves the root of the problem untouched. This would, on the surface, give an impression of a cohesive and united society, but there may be hatred and resentment hidden underneath which may cause many more issues to surface or even escalate further down the road. Therefore I believe that unpopular views, if kept closed to discussion, would only delay the issue and not solve it; opening it up, on the other hand, brings benefits, of which will be outlined further in the following paragraphs. The first reason why unpopular views should be, to a large extent, open to discussion is that it reinforces the importance placed on freedom of expression by Singapore’s society. Freedom of expression is considered by the United Nations to be one of the few inalienable human rights granted to all human beings in all societies, and Singapore is no exception. To facilitate freedom of expression in our society, all views, not just the popular ones should be brought up for discussion. This would help bring localized issues up to the national level for discussion, and through this, help all aspects of our society feel more included. A prime example of this would be the issue of foreign worker treatment in Singapore. Two years back, the issue of treatment of foreign workers never came across the public’s consciousness, and when some individuals and organisations tried to surface it, they were ignored and such an unpopular issue was closed to discussion. Only after a strike initiated by Chinese bus drivers and subsequently the unforgettable riot involving the Indian workers in Little India, was such an issue brought to the public’s attention. Upon doing so, many organisations became S

ZENITH May 2015 General Paper @ Meridian JC Page 5 of 40 more aware of this issue and regulations were reformed to help improve the living conditions of foreign workers. As such, it opened the unpopular view of the poor treatment of foreign workers up for discussion. This has shown that when unpopular views are brought up for discussion, it may invoke change that would improve the more neglected aspects of Singapore’s society, making it a better society. For this reason, I believe that unpopular views should be open to discussion. Furthermore, as a first-world nation who declares herself to be a democracy, Singapore should uphold the principles of democracy and not restrict the discussion of unpopular views. Since Singapore is a democratic society, and pluralism is a key component of any democratic nation, it raises the pertinent issue of how plurali