Huat Zai

61.2% to Almost 6 in 10

A survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) polled Singaporeans about a range of topics relating to Singapore's Covid-19 experience, including their trust in the government's leadership. The survey focusing on leadership was conducted from April to June 2022, after the announcement that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had been selected as the leader of the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s 4G team. Best possible 4G leader? Out of around 1,000 respondents, "around six in 10" trusted that the Singapore government has the best possible 4G leader in three different contexts: To navigate divisions within society To navigate Singapore’s dealing with other countries To help Singapore navigate post-Covid-19 economic recovery The survey's findings were presented in a working paper on Jul. 14. The scores for each of the three contexts varied from 57 to 60 per cent, as follows: Who is more likely to trust? There were a few demographic groups that were found to be more likely to trust that the Singapore government has the best possible 4G leader, according to the working paper. These are: Those who are more highly educated Those with higher levels of satisfaction with how the government handled the pandemic Those with a greater level of receptiveness toward living with Covid-19 as endemic The researchers pointed out that the government's prioritising of "scientific management" of the pandemic may have appealed to those who were better educated, contributing to their trust of DPM Wong's future leadership. Who is less likely to trust? However, there were also groups that were less likely to trust that the Singapore government has the best possible 4G leader, namely those who worry over the rise in cost of living. "For those who are more concerned about cost of living issues, their ability to trust DPM as the best possible leader may be influenced by how well they see their financial woes resolved," suggested the working paper. You can read the working paper in full on IPS's website. Respondents generally confident in Singapore economy's post-Covid-19 recovery A majority of Singaporeans were also found to trust that Singapore remains competitive, would emerge stronger from the current crisis, and that the government knows how to navigate the global economy, lead Singapore in a post-pandemic world, and deal with new virus strains. Some 64 per cent also said they were confident that Singapore is well-prepared to face the next pandemic, based on its performance in the current pandemic. https://mothership.sg/2022/07/ips-survey-trust-lawrence-wong/

Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, passed away on July 8 after he was assassinated while on the campaign trail in Nara city. Death shocked the world Japan was thrown into a state of shock, with many in disbelief about what had transpired when the news first broke out. Thereafter, the country went into mourning, with mourners laying flowers at the spot where he fell, and thousands more showing up to send him off during his funeral procession, and pay their final respects to a leader they held in high regard. Media reports – both domestic and international coverage – had cast Abe in a positive light, with local reports having an almost reverential tone. Given his legacy as a prominent statesman, and his long governance of the country that span almost eight years – a rarity in Japan’s revolving door of prime ministers – it’s likely more than just a simplistic case of not speaking ill of the dead. Even China’s official response had been subdued, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian extending the country’s condolences to Abe’s family, and acknowledging the “improvement and development of China-Japan relations”. And yes, even with the Chinese internet expressing glee at his death, with some openly celebrating by dancing at a club, there appears to have been an effort made by the Chinese government to tamp down on the impression that the Chinese people are rejoicing over Abe’s death. Notably, state-backed media Global Times (GT), known for its belligerent stance and fiery tone, attempted to draw a line between “netizens” expressing their “love and hate” freely and “elites”, who are able to “transcend emotion” and “calmly analyse the international issue”. Abe's reputation overseas as a "nationalist" and a "revisionist" lingers Not all approved of Abe, however, as they pointed out that he was a nationalist who never apologised for Japan's war crimes, and that he sought to reinterpret Japan's wartime history through textbook revisions. Perhaps most infamously, Abe was known for his 2013 visit to Yasukuni shrine, which is a source of controversy as it honours Class-A war criminals who committed crimes against peace. He stopped visiting, however, when the move sparked massive backlash from China and South Korea. He continued to refrain from visiting the shrine during his tenure as prime minister, only resuming his visits once he stepped down. There have also been some scattered discussions about the possibility of Abe's death leading to a revival of nationalism in Japan, should Abe's supporters use his death to push for a "conservative transformation in Japanese politics", as GT wrote in a highly controversial op-ed. Some have also wondered if Abe's death would lead to the amendment of the American written post-war pacifist constitution – something that Abe had championed for years. Such concerns are not without basis. Already, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won the upper house election with a sweeping victory. This win means that current Prime Minister Kishida has the votes he needs to push ahead with Abe’s lifetime ambition of constitutional revision. And he has wasted no time in the current favourable climate, having already said a day after his party’s victory that he will push forward efforts that lead to the proposal of a revision “as soon as possible”. Does LDP's landslide victory really signify a conservative shift in Japan? But the LDP’s victory can’t exactly be attributed solely to the shock over Abe’s death. It’s important to note that voter turnout was just 3 percentage points higher (52 per cent) than the second lowest turnout in 2019 during the post-war period, not to mention that in polling done by NHK prior to Abe’s murder, 54 per cent of respondents said they would vote in the election. Furthermore, the LDP had already been ahead of the opposition in polls conducted before the election. The dominance of the LDP in Japanese politics -- only losing power on two occasions since 1955 -- also arguably contributed to its victory, especially when pitted against a fractured and disunited opposition. So what does amending the constitution mean? While Abe had hoped to modify large parts of the constitution, perhaps the most prominent goal was to amend the war-renouncing Article 9 to allow for an expansion of the Japanese Self-Defense Force’s (JSDF) capabilities. Under Article 9, Japan technically doesn’t have a military, only “self-defence forces” that are allowed to act if the country is attacked, and which are not allowed to practice purely offensive tactics or possess strictly offensive weapons like ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons, bombers and aircraft carriers. Abe had argued for adding a new clause that specifies the existence of the JSDF while upholding the article’s clauses that renounce war and ban Japan from maintaining the potential for war, according to The Mainichi. Legitimisation for Japan's Self-Defense Forces Yoichiro Sato, a professor of international relations at the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, told Mothership that Abe’s desire to expand the role of the JSDF is so that it can “enhance its standing within its bilateral alliance with the U.S., and also to cement this bilateral partnership for balancing against China, as well as with other like-minded countries like Australia and India in the Quad formation”. Instead of "nationalism", he sees it as more of "a collective defence and multilateralism" that is prevailing in Japan. "Japan wants to work with the U.S., Australia, India and Southeast Asian countries, but at the same time, it also wants to steer China into a more cooperative direction," he said, adding that while Abe himself might had been a nationalist, his policy was "strategic, realist and pragmatic". And if this editorial piece from The Washington Post (WaPo) is any indication, the U.S. also appears to be welcoming – or at least, not disapproving – of Abe’s quest to legitimise Japan's self-defence forces. The reasons cited by WaPo include Japan being able to uphold the free and open Indo-Pacific (the term originated from Abe, and Donald Trump used it subsequently) in conjunction with the U.S., and having the capabilities to balance against a more assertive China and North Korea’s nuclear potential. For his part, Abe had sought to push for an increment of Japan’s defence budget from about 1 per cent of the country’s GDP to 2 per cent, in line with NATO countries. According to Sato, while Kishida won’t be trying to reach this target in one step, he might seek to increase the defence spending slightly to 1.1 or 1.2 per cent. To do this, Japan would require funds that come up to a whopping 6 trillion yen, which is an amount that would require a consumption tax increase of more than 2 percentage points should it be covered through taxes alone, according to Nikkei Asia. On top of this challenge, there are other competing budget items that range from social security to economic subsidies for Covid-impacted businesses, which might very well relegate constitutional amendment to the back burner. As for criticisms that Abe is a revisionist who wanted to whitewash Japan's wartime atrocities, Sato said, "Abe saw that historical narratives are part of statecraft and that Japan being passive has put itself at a disadvantage." "His resolve to not let Japan remain a sandbag in the war of historical narratives is widely shared in Japan, as the leftist teachers' union -- the vanguard of the liberal apologist narratives -- lost influence." Why amending the constitution is not easy No clear majority among the Japanese people Constitutional amendment is also not something that can be easily accomplished. A revision to the constitution is only possible if a national referendum is passed. And if massive protests in the past in response to Abe’s push for increased militarisation are any indication, it appears that not all in Japan are in favour of the idea. Constitutional amendment also appears to be rather low on the list of priorities for voters, with most people wanting the government to focus on more urgent issues like rising prices and the underperforming economy. According to a Jiji exit poll cited by The Japan Times, only 3.2 per cent of those who voted for the LDP said they voted based on constitutional revision. Also, according to a survey conducted by The Asahi Shimbun in 2021, most (61 per cent) supported the article as it is -- a slight drop from the previous year’s poll results, which is more than double the 30 per cent who prefer a revision. Divisions within pro-revision camp The pro-revision camp might also face an uphill battle trying to come to a consensus as to which clause to revise. Abe had wanted to add a new paragraph that recognises and legitimises the existence of the JSDF – the two clauses that renounce war as a sovereign right and with presence of a military force will remain. However, not everyone in the LDP agrees with this. There is division over the proposal as there are some who think this would contradict the ban on “war potential”, Hajime Funada, acting chairman of the LDP’s constitution revision panel told WaPo in 2017. The LDP might also find it difficult to convince its junior coalition partner, Komeito – one of the LDP’s three coalition partners – to support the amendment. Komeito is ideologically pacifist, and its power base consists of a Buddhist organisation. According to a survey conducted by Mainichi Shimbun, a majority (69 per cent) of Komeito winners of the upper house election said they opposed amending Article 9, making the party the only one out of all four coalition parties to oppose such a revision. Loss of momentum without Abe as a rallying figure In addition, without Abe around as a central figure to rally his faction, which is the largest in the party, there might be a loss of momentum towards the issue in the pro-revision camp within the LDP, Sato said. He added that while Abe's faction consists of mostly conservatives, not all are close to Abe ideologically. In fact, the Abe faction is in "real danger of possible split". Japan doesn’t exactly need a constitutional revision to achieve what it wants Also, given that it has already introduced collective defence measures starting from 1992 – when the country first passed the International Peace Cooperation Law – Japan doesn’t really need to revise its constitution to increase the size and scope of its Self-Defense Force. Commenting on the issue in a Facebook post, Bilahari Kausikan, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said constitutional amendment is unlikely to be a priority issue simply because “it is unnecessary”. “Abe had already effectively expanded the range and scope of the missions the JSDF can undertake without amending the constitution. The constitutional changes he sought were minor and largely cosmetic,” he explained. Sato shares similar views as well. “The amendment will simply endorse what’s been done already, and wouldn’t “give much of a new scope in the JSDF’s operations,” he said. He added that when it comes down to it, the ruling LDP is faced ultimately with the following two choices: the "more urgent defence budget increase" or the "more symbolic constitutional amendment". The priority, he opined, is for "a more pragmatic issue, which is the defence budget". He further explained that if increasing the defence budget is closer within reach as compared to the constitutional amendment issue, then Kishida might push for the former, even if he takes some heat in his public support ratio. As for the constitutional amendment issue, he added, "just kick the can down the line". https://mothership.sg/2022/07/shinzo-abe-japan-constitution-revise/

I guess this means that all the kgk didis can find true love in idol worship?

A 27-year age gap has not deterred a former idol from marrying her much-older fan in Japan. Met at 17 and 44 Yuki Tomoe first met her now-husband, Mitsuo, when she was 17 and he was 44, according to Nikkan Spa. It was 2020, and Tomoe had debuted as a new member of an idol group in Osaka. Before, Tomoe was just a substitute member. Mitsuo, who had been a supporter of the existing group members, switched to become a huge fan of Tomoe, reported Sina. "The moment I saw her, I felt like I was looking at a sparkling, shiny rock," said Mitsuo. He said he was stunned by her debut: "Even though she was new, her performances were amazing, and very cute. So I decided to support her." Though he was based in Oita, he would travel to Osaka every week to catch her performance, and would never miss the online live events either. Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. Tomoe made the first move Tomoe started to take notice of Mitsuo soon enough. "I feel like he is different from other fans. I can confide in him and talk to him about my troubles that I would never tell anyone else. Once, he wasn't there at our concert. I thought it was weird as he always came, and I started looking for him onstage. Without him in the audience, I felt empty. From that moment on, I realised I seem to like him." Tomoe took the initiative and eventually confessed her feelings to Mitsuo. Mitsuo said he never thought this day would come. "After all, I'm just a fan. If an idol says they like you, maybe they only like you as a fan. I couldn't believe it when she said she liked me as a person... So I said, let's start dating then!" Tomoe graduated from the idol group around the same time they started dating, reported Sina. Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. Met Tomoe's parents after dating for a week Because of their age difference, those who knew the pair disapproved of their relationship. Mitsuo's friends and colleagues were envious and worried for him, and warned him that he might be getting scammed, as their relationship "was hard to believe" since Tomoe was "so young and cute". Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. Just one week into dating, Mitsuo thought it was better for him to pay a visit to Tomoe's parents sooner rather than later. Tomoe's mother and Mitsuo are both 47 years old. When they met, she was very nervous and asked: "Do you two have plans to get married?" Not expecting this question, Mitsuo got nervous. He said the two of them have only been dating for a week, and did not dare to consider marriage. Tomoe's mother then asked: "What? You two are still dating even though you have no plans to get married?" Flustered, Mitsuo could only reply, "Is it okay [if we get married]?" Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. Wrote a letter of assurance to Tomoe's parents To win the trust of Tomoe's parents, Mitsuo wrote them a letter of assurance which made a few promises, according to Sina. One such promise was that Tomoe's parents would always be informed when they go out for dates so as to ensure her safety. Mitsuo eventually won over Tomoe's parents. Before they got hitched, Mitsuo's face would be censored or hidden with a pair of shades in Tomoe's public social media posts. Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. When the pair tied the knot in April this year, his face was finally revealed. Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. Image by @_tomoe_0722/Twitter. While they were dating, the two were long-distance as Tomoe lived in Osaka, which is five hours by train or eight hours by car from Oita. Tomoe has since moved to Oita city and the two are currently on their honeymoon in Japan. The couple frequently posts on their social media accounts about their relationship. Their TikTok account has over 300,000 followers. To relive the good old days, Tomoe performs for Mitsuo in their bedroom. He sways along with a glowing light stick. https://mothership.sg/2022/07/japanese-fan-47-marries-idol-20/

Maybe she's just practicing kungfu

this brand better

Rip

at this rate, go out can only eat

People got cute hubby mai jelly

He's Ang Mo, graduate already go home, no fucks give

A man in the US state of Ohio has been charged with raping a 10-year-old girl who had to cross state lines for an abortion after her home state restricted the procedure. Gershon Fuentes, 27, appeared in court in Columbus on Wednesday. The unnamed girl's plight has drawn international attention. US President Joe Biden cited it at the White House as he slammed abortion restrictions, but sceptics had questioned if it was a hoax. ADVISORY: This story contains details some readers may find upsetting. Millions of women and girls lost a longstanding constitutional right to abortion after a US Supreme Court decision in June. In a speech last Friday condemning that ruling, President Biden raised a report of the child's case, angrily saying: "Imagine being that little girl!" Hours after the Supreme Court decision, legislators in Ohio outlawed abortions after six weeks, with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. The child was six weeks and three days pregnant, according to the Indianapolis Star newspaper. Referred by a child abuse doctor in Ohio, the girl visited a clinic in Indianapolis, Indiana, to undergo a medical abortion on 30 June. Although efforts are under way to restrict abortion access in Ohio's neighbouring state, the procedure still remains legal there. Following the Supreme Court ruling, 26 US states have either severely restricted abortions or are expected to do so in the coming weeks and months. According to prosecutors, the child may have been nine years old when she was attacked. She told police she was pregnant because of Mr Fuentes, reports the IndyStar. Police say the accused, who was arrested on Tuesday at a flat in Columbus, admitted raping the girl, according to the Columbus Dispatch. A saliva sample from him was being checked against DNA from the abortion clinic in Indianapolis, according to local media. Mr Fuentes is a Guatemalan national and is in the US illegally, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement source told Fox News. Citing the risk that Mr Fuentes could flee or further endanger the child, Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Cynthia Ebner remanded him in custody, setting bail at $2m (£1.7m). He faces life in prison if convicted. The case was first reported on 1 July with few details in the IndyStar. As other news outlets struggled to confirm the story, prominent conservatives began to question its veracity. Among the sceptics was congressman Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, who had tweeted on Tuesday that the story was "another lie". As news of the court appearance emerged on Wednesday, Mr Jordan appeared to have quietly deleted that tweet. A new one was posted in which the lawmaker called for the suspect to be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law".

Ok, which of you bao toh kia did it, own up now.

The Singapore police are looking into a report they received regarding a National University of Singapore (NUS) student who displayed a piece of paper with an anti-death penalty message on it during his graduation ceremony. The police confirmed with Today that a report was lodged but did not say who made the report or when it was made. What student did The student, Luke Levy, 25, posted a series of tweets on Twitter on July 11 regarding his graduation ceremony antics. He wrote that he brought along a sign with him in his graduation gown pocket, unfolded it, walked on stage, posed for a photo while receiving his degree scroll on stage, and left the stage with the paper with him. Levy majored in geography. What sign said The words, printed in black on a piece of white paper, read: “Abolish the death penalty. No to state murder. End poverty, not life. Blood on your hands.” What student claimed The NUS graduate also claimed in his tweets that the video of the ceremony on the NUS YouTube account did not show him walking across the stage with his printed paper. An official photo he bought of the graduation event even censored the words on the paper, he further claimed. Levy also claimed in his tweet that death row inmate Kalwant Singh made his last appeal for his life in court before his execution "around the time" of the graduation ceremony. Singh, 31, a Malaysian, was hanged on July 7, after he was given the death penalty in June 2016 for trafficking heroin. A day before his hanging, on July 6, he applied to stay his execution in Singapore but the last-minute attempt failed. What law could he have broken Lawyers that Today spoke to were divided in their assessment regarding whether there was a violation of the law. Knowingly holding a public assembly of one person to demonstrate support for or oppose the views or actions of any group of persons or government, publicise a cause or campaign or commemorate an event, can be considered a violation of the Public Order Act, which regulates assemblies and processions in public places, one lawyer argued. However, it is debatable if NUS could be considered a public space. Another lawyer said "it really depends on investigations into the whole matter, and not just based on his tweets”. https://mothership.sg/2022/07/nus-anti-death-penalty-graduation-sign/

LONDON: Former Olympic champion Mo Farah revealed in an article published on Monday (Jul 11) that he was brought to Britain illegally under the name of another child to work as a domestic servant. Farah told the BBC that he was given the name Mohamed Farah by a woman who flew him to the UK from east African country Djibouti aged nine. The 39-year-old, whose father was killed in Somalia when he was four, said his real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin and claimed he was made to look after another family's children in Britain. "The truth is I'm not who you think I am," he said as part of a documentary to be aired on Wednesday. "Most people know me as Mo Farah, but it's not my name or it's not the reality. "The real story is I was born in Somaliland, north of Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin. Despite what I've said in the past, my parents never lived in the UK. "When I was four my dad was killed in the civil war, you know as a family we were torn apart. "I was separated from my mother, and I was brought into the UK illegally under the name of another child called Mohamed Farah." Farah, who became the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals, said his children have motivated him to be truthful about his past. "I've been keeping it for so long, it's been difficult because you don't want to face it and often my kids ask questions, 'Dad, how come this?' And you've always got an answer for everything, but you haven't got an answer for that," he said. "That's the main reason in telling my story because I want to feel normal and don't feel like you're holding on to something." "JUST BEING HONEST" Farah's wife Tania said in the year leading up to their 2010 wedding she realised "there were lots of missing pieces to his story" but she eventually "wore him down with the questioning" and he told the truth. During the television programme, Farah said he thought he was going to Europe to live with relatives and recalled going through a UK passport check under the guise of Mohamed at the age of nine. "I had all the contact details for my relative and once we got to her house, the lady took it off me and right in front of me ripped them up and put it in the bin and at that moment I knew I was in trouble," he said. Farah eventually told his physical education teacher Alan Watkinson the truth and moved to live with his friend's mum, Kinsi, who "really took great care" of him and he ended up staying for seven years. It was Watkinson who applied for Farah's British citizenship, which he described as a "long process" and on July 25, 2000, Farah was recognised as a British citizen. Farah, who named his son Hussein after his real name, said: "I often think about the other Mohamed Farah, the boy whose place I took on that plane and I really hope he's okay. "Wherever he is, I carry his name and that could cause problems now for me and my family. "The important thing is for me to just be able to look, this is what's happened and just being honest, really." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/former-olympic-champion-mo-farah-says-he-was-victim-child-trafficking-2803231