In a commentary, SMU Senior Lecturer of Communication Management Dr Tracy Loh, Member of National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), and Tan Chong Huat, NCADA Chairman and senior partner of RHTLaw Asia, opined that personal, one-to-one conversations on drugs can be much more effective than broadcast messaging. Dr Loh and Mr Tan noted that one-to-one personal conversations carry a weight that broadcast messaging alone cannot replicate because they are specific, personal, and come from someone the listener trusts.
Commenting on China’s National Development and Reform Commission meeting with seven state-owned enterprises involved in the energy and shipping sectors, SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian said the ongoing Middle East-related energy crisis and the participation of firms involved in energy and commodity trading suggest that safeguarding China’s energy security was a key focus.
Commenting on China’s new outbound investment oversight rules, SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian said in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that the new regulations were likely prompted in part by the recent case in which Chinese authorities blocked Meta’s proposed US$2 billion (S$2.6 billion) acquisition of AI company Manus on national security grounds. Assoc Prof Fu said the rules reflect China’s move toward stricter and more refined oversight of outbound investments involving AI, advanced technologies and cross-border data flows.
In an interview, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said the 9% reduction in peak-hour crowding was significant as it made train rides less stressful and created more space for commuters to move around. He explained that the free public transport initiative was not intended to shift everyone out of peak-hour travel, but rather to encourage commuters to travel slightly earlier.
Commenting on the disappearance of the 5-cents coin, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing Thomas Allard said its disappearance would have little impact on most consumers, noting Singapore’s continued shift towards cashless payments. Assoc Prof Allard added that cash is unlikely to become obsolete soon, as elderly consumers, small hawker businesses, and some tourists still rely on cash. He said that cash also serves as a psychological anchor in transactions. It is tangible, trusted and universally accepted.
Commenting on the operational and safety limitations faced by pilots during long-haul flights, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan agreed that it is difficult for pilots to monitor all conditions across a long flight. He said that because the flight is very long, the crew may not be monitoring conditions every minute, as they also need to focus on the instrumentation and route planning, and may not be able to scan everything at all times.
Commenting on the role of air traffic controllers in relaying turbulence information, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said the lessons from the SQ321 incident will be crucial going forward as the risk of turbulence rises with climate change. He said air traffic controllers can do a better job in relaying information because when pilots request a detour to air traffic controllers in that particular region, they typically cite a reason such as air turbulence.
Commenting on the Circle Line expansion, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that the southern side of the CBD is not as well-connected as the middle and the northern part. Asst Prof Fan added that the southern edge would strengthen and improve the connectivity of the area.
Commenting on the increase in China's personal income tax revenue, SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian said that stricter and more standardised supervision of personal income tax collection in China is likely the main reason for the increase. Assoc Prof Fu said that China's personal income tax revenue mainly comes from relatively wealthy high-income groups, whose overseas investments or other income were not previously included in China's tax base.
In a commentary, SMU Assistant Professor of Marketing Shilpa Madan said unfamiliar social situations produce stress because of what a faux pas might cost, such as colleagues, clients, or bosses reassessing a person negatively. Across five studies with Singaporean and American participants, she highlighted that their research found that participants who got stressed out more consistently learned faster when picking up the nuances of interacting in new social situations.
