TMJC GP Bulletin 2019

General Paper Bulletin 2019 Welcome to the first issue of TMJC’s GP Bulletin for 2019! In this edition, we bring you a selection of the essays written by your schoolmates during the recent March Block Test. A big thank you to all the students who have contributed your essays. While these essays are not perfect or model essays, there is a lot of merit in them, and they are clear evidence that even under exam conditions, good quality writing is still possible! Whilst reading these essays, you may find some of the examples and p oints useful for application to other questions, do be judicious in using such information in a manner that is relevant to the POC of the question you are answering. Lastly, you should not attempt to copy or regurgitate them and hand them in as your own! All the best for the Mid-Year Exams! Editorial Team ___________________ Mdm Sukhvinder Kaur Mrs Annie Clayton Mr Teddy Tan Mr Max Cheong Contents Q1: Is a career in sport a viable option in your society? …………………………………………………………………….. 2 Q2: ‘In today’s world, conflicts have become unavoidable.’ What do you think? …………………………..… 3 Q4: Is it easier to commit crime in an increasingly connected world? ………………………………………………… 5 Q7: ‘Violence should never be used to manage territorial disputes.’ What are your views? .................. 7 Q8: ‘The Arts will never be taken seriously’ To what extent is this true in your society? ....................... 8 Q10: ‘Migration creates more problems than benefits.’ Discuss. ………………………………………………………… 10 Q11: ‘The poor are often at the mercy of the rich.’ Is this a fair statement? ……………………………………….. 12

GP Bulletin May 2019 2 Q1: Is a career in sport a viable option in your society? (TMJCMBT2019) ‘Joseph Schooling earns Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal.’ This was the headline printed across many newspapers both locally and internationally. The victory inundated the nation with a sense of pride and hope, that this would perhaps motivate the young nation to start to cultivate its budding athletes to compete and earn medals on an international stage. Howbeit, hope does not evolve into anything tangible if no concrete actions are taken. The government has done little to change public opinion that the republic is serious in supporting its athletes. The lack of funding, public perception of sports as well as legally mandated conscription indicate that the young Singaporean society is not ready to allow sports to be a feasible career trajectory. Therefore, I hold the view that a career in sports is not a viable option in Singapore. Many are unable to be full-time athletes because of the lack of funding from both the government as well as the related sport agencies. Competing on an international scale requires more than just ample training and the best coaches. Avi ation and accommodation fees are also part of the package, yet many aspiring athletes are not given the imperative funding by the government for these. For instance, eight-time National as well as Commonwealth champion for Taekwondo, Ng Ming Wei recently disclosed on socio -political website Mothership, that his parents were the ones who funded his international escapades and not the Sports Council nor the Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF). His training camps abroad with other top national teams as well a s his competition stints were all funded from his own pocket. When STF was asked about the lack of funding, they descri bed Ming Wei’s achievements as ‘ paltry’, which is ironic considering his achievements and testimonials from various international coaches. Similarly, Joseph Schooling too funded his own career out of his parents’ pocket, spending close to a million thus far. The government’s unwillingness in funding athletes who have showed promise is a good indicator that perhaps the republic does not supp ort its citizens in sports, rendering a career in it unfavorable. Hence, it is evident that sports is not a viable career option. A preponderance of the Singapore population has the perception that sports is not lucrative and should only be done as a hobb y. Many still hold the view that passion does not correlate with the pursuit of wealth, and that sports should not be prioritised over traditional jobs. For example, multiple surveys indicate that people believe the promotion of science and technology is t he reason for Singapore’s prosperous economic growth. The PISA test Singapore leads in attest to that claim. This thought resonates with the baby -boomers who also believe that sports as a career is just a frivolous dream and would never come to fruition. I n essence, public opinions and perceptions in Singapore are therefore mainly negative, regarding a career in sports. Without the support of the nation’s own citizens, it is difficult for one to consider pursuing sports as a career option. Hence, it is evident that a career in sports is not feasible in Singapore. Singapore’s legally mandated conscription warrants one to have second thoughts about pursuing a career in sports. An athlete’s peak performance period generally falls in their late teens which coincides with the timeframe for conscription. Should they miss their peak, they are unable to realise their full potential and may be deterred from pursuing a job in their sport. In the case of football players, they traditionally do not play for all of their lifetimes but stop around their early 30s. The performance levels tend to apex when they are in their college years. The republic’s conscription impedes the performance of its athletes, which is why in the case of Ben Davis, it was not a feasible option to remain in Singapore to play football and represent the republic. Ben Davis was offered a contract with Fulham, one of the most prestigious clubs in the football arena, yet he was unable to play for Fulham when his request to defer his National Service duties was rejected. The rejection of his application is a conspicuous indicator of Singapore’s position on sports. Ergo it is evident that a career in sports is not a welcomed option in Singapore. However, critics of my argument would posit the notion that i n the broad-based definition of sports, one can still pursue a career in sports in certain industries. The e-sports arena has flourished since it

GP Bulletin May 2019 3 first gained public recognition many years ago. E -sports has become a billion -dollar industry on the world stage and Singapore has taken notice of that, which is why many local teams have sprung up to try to earn a stake and a place on the world stage. Razer, an internationally renowned gaming company that specialises in gaming peripherals recently announced its p lans to open a hub in Singapore to support budding e -athletes. Furthermore, the founder of Razer, Tan Min -Liang, is a Singaporean. Incidentally, gaming organisations like ‘Resurgence’ have started to pay its players a competitive salary alongside gaming gear from its sponsors. The increasing support and recognition of the sport attest to the fact that a career in the sports is a possible one. However, be that as it may, there are only a handful of e-sport athletes who have undertaken this path. Many prominent ones have moved to countries like Taiwan or America to pursue their careers there because the scene abroad is much more developed and the possibility of a career is more sustained due to governmental support. Ergo, while some sports are gaining recognit ion, pursuing a career in it is a dangerous thought to entertain, especially if the sport lacks governmental recognition. Critics may also postulate that there is longevity in a sporting career in Singapore. Athletes tend to stop competing and retire when they get older, but it is possible for them to become coaches instead of playing professionally. For instance, Fan