TABLE TALK WITH PARAG KHANNA

Dec 8, 2009

Tying the shoe down is just wrongfooting it

By Cheong Suk-Wai, Senior Writer

THERE is something to be said about pursuing a thought that seizes you, even if it takes you to the ends of the Earth.

Just ask American foreign policy scholar Parag Khanna. In 2004, he first hit upon the idea of making a television series about emerging markets and how they were being riven apart internally by globalisation. Nobody took him up on it.

Then in late 2005, he convinced American publisher Random House to stump up nearly $60,000 for him to trek through as many countries as he could, including Brazil, Tunisia and Kazakhstan. He roughed it out, slept in the back of cars in the boondocks, because he thought that was the best way to get to know the peoples in these countries.

His nearly three-year global trot culminated in his first book, The Second World, which the New York Times Magazine called one of the best ideas of 2007.

Dr Khanna, who is all of 32, can now 'concentrate on family life', as he puts it, with his wife, a Pakistani-born management consultant, and their seven-month-old daughter. They hope to move to Singapore one day so as to raise their child in 'a more people-friendly place'.

Dr Khanna was born in Kanpur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. His father was a Tata Group sales manager and his mother a computer scientist. The elder Khanna's job took the family to Dubai when Dr Khanna was a toddler. Then, when he was seven, his entire family emigrated to the United States.

The alumnus of Georgetown University and the London School of Economics is now the director of global governance initiatives at the New America Foundation, a think-tank in Washington, DC. He is writing his second book - on how privately funded institutions such as the Gates Foundation are changing the way the world works.

Here are his takes on why people should not be obsessed about, among other things, China overtaking the US:

# With the decline of Western powers, the shoe of power now seems to be on the other foot. How comfortable is that fit for East and West?

That's a great question. You say the shoe is now on the other foot. But nothing happens immediately in geopolitics. This transition began in the 1960s with the rise of Japan, the European Union and the Asian tigers. Just because people are waking up today doesn't mean the shoe is now on the other foot. The shoe is constantly in the process of movement and changing feet.

But doesn't China own the shoe, so to speak, more than the US today?

# Many people want to see China replace the United States or the East replace the West, and they believe that until that is complete, there is no transition (of power).

That's nonsense.

# How so?

We live in a very complicated world where Asia, Europe, the US and Brazil are powerful - all at the same time. The US is not going to disappear from the world scene anytime soon and China is not going to replace it. It may never happen and it does not need to happen.

Asia is a world unto itself; more than half the world's population lives there. So people do not have to wait for China to become more influential than the US at, say, the United Nations or the World Bank. What matters is that Asians are now running their own affairs, from the Asian Development Bank to (perhaps one day) the Asian monetary fund.

# Will the decline of American power mean the decline of idealism?

There is a synonymity between America and the notion of idealism in certain rhetorical strains that certain Americans believe and pursue. But I don't believe that.

People like Professor Kishore Mahbubani (dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy) talk about Asian confidence, contentment and an Asian set of views on what constitutes harmony and focus. And a great many people point out that there is nothing less idealistic about Asians (compared to their Western counterparts).

For so long there's been this idea that developing countries can only be truly successful if they are democratic.

People have known for a long time that countries can succeed if they are not democratic. The question is: Can countries continue to succeed if they are not so?

# Can they?

The American argument is that, no, they cannot succeed without democracy. Which is why (New York Times columnist) Thomas Friedman says that China is a smooth road with a cliff on the horizon while India is a bumpy road with a sunny horizon, because China is not a democracy.

But I believe China, Singapore and Malaysia demonstrate that you can have sustained growth, stability and happiness without being democratic in the Western sense. Let's also bear in mind that democracy is now being replaced with the idea of good governance.

# But isn't good governance democracy by another name?

No, it's a more scientific approach to creating a successful, balanced society, with elements of social stability and equity. These elements are not emphasised in the idea of democracy at all.

# Why is good governance better?

Well, because it works. That is the true test of anything, and not its ideological status. If emerging market countries want to succeed, I believe that the model that they seek is not the US because that ideal is unattainable for most Second World countries in the near term. They are looking for the next best thing.

# Might Singapore be that next best thing?

There are many models for many places at many times. And that's what the Second World is about. There's no one thing that links them all together. And that's okay. Let there be diversity as to what works in different societies, based on their size, wealth, demographics and geography.

# How did it go so wrong for America?

Well, in the 1990s, US leaders were not successfully assertive in solving global problems, like not intervening to stop the Kosovo War. Then there was 9/11 and the West's response to it, and last year's financial crisis.

# So isn't this the end of American power as we know it?

Just as there is no one time when the shoe is put on one foot, there's no time when the shoe is pulled off the foot - unless, of course, the US is instantly destroyed in a major war.

Emerging markets? It's a silly phrase

EARNEST yet soft-spoken, foreign policy scholar Parag Khanna has spent enough time in emerging markets to challenge what he considers to be simplistic views of how geopolitics really works these days:

# Black-and-white views of geopolitics

'I don't deal in simplicities and I resent simplicities because they keep people stupid.'

# The reality of Asian power today

'It doesn't matter any more whether or not President Barack Obama speaks longer than the Chinese and Indian leaders at the UN General Assembly.'

# America's position in the world today

'Increasingly, it is no longer the case that the first thing a leader asks himself when he wakes up in the morning is 'What is the US president going to do today?''

# Singapore

'It embodies the notion of government as a science...and that is a good thing (for) healthy competition.'

# Why Singapore is great

'The fact that everything always happens on time is quite a strength, I can tell you!'

# Why the Middle East is enamoured of China's growth model

'The Arab countries go, 'The China model! The China model!' But what they mean is that they want economic liberalisation and growth without political liberalisation.'

# His almost three-year global trek for his book

'A lot of people have told me that it is five books in one.'

# Why he wrote his book

'Because people are speaking past one another.'

# Emerging markets

'This phrase is actually quite silly because some emerging markets never emerge. I mean, China is a so-called emerging market but it is actually at the core of the global economy.'

# What about emerging markets surprises him the most

'The extent to which they are forming connections among themselves. (That) circumvents our notion about a global core of central powers, unipolarity and hegemony.'

# Why it doesn't matter if emerging markets lack political heft

'The test of whether or not they are pivotal (doesn't lie) in assuming the mantle of responsibility (but rather) in whether or not they lead in very important global sectors, such as oil production.'

CHEONG SUK-WAI

Alternative Lifestyle

The "silent majority" speaks.

Dec 3, 2009
Changes to law may add to problems

I REFER to last Thursday's report, 'Court to mistress: Law can't help you', in which Judge of Appeal Chao Hick Tin was quoted as suggesting that the law be changed to protect innocent children born out of wedlock.

I sympathise with the children caught in this unfortunate episode. However, while changing the law may protect innocent children born out of wedlock today, it may also create a side effect - that is, encourage women with little or no moral values to prey on married man for monetary gain.

While changes to the law may discourage some men from making the mistake of taking a mistress, many will still fall prey to the temptations of lust.

Furthermore, changing the law will not solve the bigger issue of discouraging reckless adults from adding more illegitimate offspring to society. Irresponsible people with little or no values should not bring children into this world - causing them to suffer. Changing the law may even lead to more social problems over time.

Marriage is a sacred affair. There is no secrecy to the relationship because the two partners in life willingly and openly show devotion to each other, an important value in Singapore which is emphasised in law.

As a married woman, I sympathise more with the innocent widow. I cannot imagine the pain the lawfully wedded woman had to go through - first losing her husband, then finding out he has another family and then having to go through a legal tussle to protect her husband's estate that rightfully belongs to her and her children.

Compassion can be a motivating factor to create a law, but the spirit of the law should continue to protect the innocent.

The fact that the widow in this case offered the mistress monthly maintenance shows she is truly magnanimous and compassionate.

Claudia Tan (Mrs)

[I think the point the judge was trying to make is that the children of the mistress are innocent. They did not choose to be born out of wedlock, and there is injustice to them. As for the pain of the widow, not being in her shoes, and not having spoken to her, one can hardly claim to understand her or her feelings. In trying to "punish" the wrong-doers i.e. the immoral mistresses, the writer ignores the the morality of the husbands. In castigating the irresponsibility of the women, she overlooks the responsibility of the men. In the middle are the innocent children, labelled illegitimate, and given fewer rights because of their "illegitimacy". The concept of legitimacy is outdated. Morality cannot be legislated.]

Respect is fine but don't glorify

I REFER to Tuesday's letter by Mr Harvey Neo, 'Respect those outside traditional family'.

I agree with his view that people with alternative views and lifestyles should be treated with respect, empathy, compassion and tolerance. However, I also share the concerns of the Anglican Church of Singapore regarding the increasing trend to glorify lifestyles alternative to the traditional family. I am not an Anglican but the church's concerns resonate with me - and I believe they resonate with the silent majority of Singapore.

In my workplace, I work with and I have hired gays and single parents, and I am entirely blind to their lifestyle choices. I have good friends who are gay. To me, their lifestyle is a personal choice and has no bearing whatsoever on their character and the work that they do.

However, I draw the line if I am expected to somehow 'celebrate' and support their lifestyle. I draw the line if I am regarded as a bigot or a lesser human being if I do not approve of the alternative lifestyle.

While a single parent can justifiably be proud to have brought up her child despite her single parenthood, I do not think single parenthood in itself is anything to be proud of or celebrated. In the same vein, gays are entitled to their views and lifestyle, and they should not be subjected to any pressure to conform or, worse, somehow convert to be 'normal' heterosexuals. But in my view, they are not entitled to expect non-gays to celebrate and approve of their lifestyle.

I think the line is crossed when respect, empathy, compassion and tolerance are not regarded as sufficient any more; and the silent majority are expected to actively endorse and approve alternative lifestyles. The silent majority are entitled to their views and should not be vilified for supporting traditional family values.

Bernard Tan

[He has a point: "I'm not anti-gay, I'm pro-traditional family." ]

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Dec 7, 2009
Lesbian bishop elected in LA

LOS ANGELES - THE Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has elected the second openly homosexual bishop since the national church lifted a ban on gays in the church's highest ordained ministry, the church announced.

The leader of the world Anglicans, the Archbishop of Canterbury, immediately issued a statement saying the development raised 'serious questions' about the Episcopal Church's place in the Anglican Communion.

The Reverend Canon Mary Glasspool, 55, who has openly maintained a relationship with another woman since 1988, was elected bishop by members of the Episcopal church at their annual convention here.

Another gay candidate, the Reverend John Kirkley of San Francisco, withdrew late Friday, the church announcement said. Rev Glasspool received 153 votes in the clergy order and 203 lay votes, meeting the required majority of ballots after the Convention's necessary quorum was declared.

Consent to the election of Rev Glasspool by the bishops and standing committees of the Episcopal Church's other 108 dioceses will now be requested under longstanding denominational procedures.

'I am very excited about the future of the whole Episcopal Church, and I see the Diocese of Los Angeles leading the way into that future,' said Rev Glasspool, a native of Staten Island, New York, whose father was also an Episcopal priest. -- AFP

[Then we have this. Presumably the Episcopal Church is no gay dominated and the election of a lesbian bishop would be because of her dedication, competence and spiritual leadership, and not simply because she's lesbian. Then to deny her the post on the grounds that she is lesbian would be discriminatory.]

Competing for talent

Dec 5, 2009

Fewer seeking second home in Malaysia
Falling number reflects KL's struggle to compete for foreign talent

By Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief

Penang island, with its beaches and historical town centre, draws the most number of Malaysia My Second Home programme applicants from Europe. But the programme has seen a falling number of successful applications over the last three years. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR: The red carpet has been rolled out for wealthy foreigners to make Malaysia their second home, but fewer people seem to be making a beeline for it.

Data from the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme shows the number of successful applications falling by half in the last three years since it reached a high of 2,600 in 2006.

MM2H was formerly known as the Silver Hair programme for foreign retirees, but it was overhauled and renamed in 2002 to widen its target to wealthy foreigners in general.

Applicants who are below 50 years old must have liquid assets of at least RM500,000 (S$204,000) and RM10,000 in monthly income earned from abroad.

Those aged 50 and above need assets of RM350,000 and a monthly offshore income of RM10,000.

A report on Malaysia's workforce by Citigroup, an investment bank, noted that Malaysia could be losing its appeal as a place to live in.

Tourism Malaysia chairman Victor Wee, however, blames the decline on the fact that the authorities are taking a closer look at candidates.

He said that in the past, many applicants tried to use it as a foothold by which to gain work, while some had even lied about how much money they had, using fake bank statements.

'In the earlier years, some of the people who came were not those that we targeted,' Mr Wee said.

'We are in the process of adjustment. We now have a lot of interest from Britain, Japan, South Korea and Australia, and a growing interest from Iran.'

Penang island, with its beaches and historical town centre, draws the most number of MM2H participants from Europe.

MM2H is often seen as a tourism sideshow because of its small numbers, but it has a greater significance. This is because the scheme sells Malaysia as a desirable long-term second home.

The issue of Malaysia's appeal to foreigners has become important to the government after it acknowledged that it needed foreign talent to drive its stagnant economy forward.

Prime Minister Najib Razak raised the topic during a speech to Malaysians living in Singapore recently. He told them that Malaysia needed global talent - whether Malaysians who live abroad or foreigners - but it faces stiff competition.

'We will create more opportunities, more excitement and more buzz in Malaysia to attract the Malaysian diaspora and expatriates to the country.'

The World Bank's Malaysia Economic Monitor recently noted that only a quarter of Malaysia's workforce of 12 million comprised skilled labour.

This has become a serious obstacle as the bank's investment climate assessment report in 2007 found the shortage of skill to be the main concern of employers.

Malaysia is belatedly trying to tackle this problem. It has tried various measures with limited success.

Pouring money into tertiary education has not produced the desired results. The drive to churn out graduates in large numbers came at the expense of quality.

The struggle to retain local talent has been equally difficult as they were wooed away to developed countries.

The country has tried to fill the gap with foreign talent but efforts had been marred by complaints of bureaucracy and prejudices against certain nationalities. The government has pledged, yet again, to relax immigration policies.

Datuk Seri Najib had announced in his maiden Budget that the family members of skilled workers will get visas within 14 days, and that foreign men married to Malaysian women will get permanent residence.

But will they come? The Citigroup report noted that beyond easing immigration rules, equally important factors are the business environment and living conditions.

Malaysia has undeniably fallen behind in this respect. The Citigroup report highlighted two surveys which show Malaysia's ranking to be below expectations.

Mercer's 2009 Quality of Living survey ranks Kuala Lumpur at 75 out of 215 cities, unchanged from the year before even as Jakarta is moving up. A.T. Kearney's Global Cities Index saw KL ranked 40 out of 60 cities.

'KL's weaker rankings versus that of its regional peers could place it at a disadvantage when vying for foreign talent,' the Citigroup report noted.

Malaysian Employers Federation executive director Shamsuddin Bardan was recently quoted on a website as saying that Malaysia's ability to attract expatriates is being challenged.

He said it now has about 38,000 expatriates compared with 80,000 in the 1990s.

That decade was unusual, however, because massive construction projects like the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Towers attracted short-term technical expertise.

Malaysia's image abroad has taken a bashing in recent years. The crime rate is often blamed, but it has also been marred by controversies over moral policing and religious disputes.

Mr Andy Davidson, an expatriate who has lived in Malaysia for more than 20 years, told The Straits Times that there is some paranoia in the West concerning Muslim countries.

It does not help that Malaysia keeps making international news for cases like that of Ms Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who was ordered to be caned for drinking beer.

Mr Najib found that out first-hand when he was in New York last month to meet foreign investors.

'One such issue and it takes us months to clear it up,' he was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times.

The good news is that the government is swinging into action to fight crime, with some early success.

It is also building a new economic zone from scratch in southern Johor.

It will have to move fast to show results.

Keep an eye on the MM2H for a glimpse on whether it is succeeding.

carolynh@ph.com.sg

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India faces 'water wars'
Experts warn of more violent protests if perennial shortages are not addressed
By P. Jayaram, India Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Indian cities may be heading for 'water wars' if the country's perennial shortages are not addressed, experts warned.

The protest in Mumbai on Thursday by hundreds of people against a stringent water cut is a sign of things to come, they said.

One person was killed and more than a dozen were injured in the financial capital when police used batons to disperse the protesters outside the Mumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters.

The capital, with a population of 16 million, had announced that a steep water hike was in the offing.

'Sources (of water) are fast depleting and there is serious mismanagement in the distribution of water in the cities,' said Mr R.K. Srinivasan, a water expert at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based research and advocacy organisation. 'What we saw in Mumbai and some other places is just the beginning of water wars which will intensify in the years to come.'

He said a CSE survey three years ago found that 33 per cent of the water was lost during distribution in Mumbai, while 47 per cent of the water supply was lost in New Delhi because of old and leaky pipes.

While mismanagement of water has always been a problem, this year it has been compounded by a sharp drop in rainfall. This year's level of monsoon rainfall is said to be the lowest in decades.

The shortfall in Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, is so bad that the Municipal Corporation had to announce water cuts of 15 per cent for residential users and 30 per cent for commercial users. The cuts came into effect on Oct 28 and would be in place till July 2010.

According to official estimates, almost half of the 604 districts across the country are affected by drought, resulting in an influx of job seekers from the rural areas to the cities.

Mr Rahul Narvekar, a spokesman for Shiv Sena, which controls the Municipal Corporation in Mumbai, said the city was catering to the needs of 15 million people but has the capacity to provide water to only nine million.

But CSE's Mr Srinivasan said the problem applied to all Indian cities. 'Urban centres now account for 27 per cent of India's population and it will increase to 50 per cent in 20 years, putting further pressure on resources.'

Already, cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad have depleted nearby water sources and have to bring water from dams and reservoirs 300km to 500km away.

The sourcing of water for the cities from rural areas has created resentment among the local population. In 2005, five farmers were shot dead in Tonk district in Rajasthan, during a protest against the diversion of water to Jaipur, the state capital 100km away, from a dam in their area. The farmers were already angry over the displacement of more than 70,000 people from 63 villages during the construction of the dam.

In many rural areas, women still have to walk long distances to fetch drinking water, though most political parties come to power promising drinking water to all villages.

The Indian government launched an 'Urban Renewal Mission' in 2005 to address the shortage of drinking water supply, housing and social services, as well as inadequate sanitation.

Officials said private companies would participate in the programme, which would cost 500 billion rupees (S$15 billion).

Under the programme, loss of water due to leakage would be reduced to 15 per cent by 2012. Rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory while steps are under way for waste water re-use to ensure 24-hour water supply.

pjay@sph.com.sg

[Water shortage and other insecurities can make cities in India and China less competitive.]

M'sia's economy stagnant

Dec 1, 2009

Malaysia's export-dependent economy has been hit hard by the global recession, contracting by a forecast 3.0 per cent this year and jeopardising its ambitions of becoming a developed nation by 2020. --PHOTO: BT

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S economy has been stagnating for the past decade and is now trailing badly behind its neighbours, a senior minister said on Tuesday, calling for 'urgent' and wide-ranging reforms.

Malaysia's export-dependent economy has been hit hard by the global recession, contracting by a forecast 3.0 per cent this year and jeopardising its ambitions of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

'Malaysia is trapped in a low-value-added, low-wage and low-productivity structure,' Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah told an economic outlook conference.

Among its peers China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand, Malaysia's economic growth over the past three years was second-lowest, he said.

'Our economy has been stagnating in the last decade. We have lost our competitive edge to remain as the leader of the pack in many sectors of the economy. Our private investment has been steadily in decline. While Singapore and Korea's nominal per capita GDP grew within the last three decades by 9 and 12 times respectively, ours grew only by a factor of four.'

In a withering assessment, Mr Ahmad said the services sector is underdeveloped, private investment is half the levels before the 1997-98 Asian crisis, and the manufacturing sector is suffering from lack of investment. He called for sweeping measures including an emphasis on meritocracy and ensuring all Malaysians are given 'equal opportunity to participate in the economy'. -- AFP

Magnetic discs kill cancer cells?

Nov 30, 2009

PARIS - TINY magnetic discs just a millionth of a metre in diameter could be used to used to kill cancer cells, according to a study published on Sunday.

Laboratory tests found the so-called 'nanodiscs", around 60 billionths of a metre thick, could be used to disrupt the membranes of cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.

The discs are made from an iron-nickel alloy, which move when subjected to a magnetic field, damaging the cancer cells, the report published in Nature Materials said.

One of the study's authors, Elena Rozhlova of Argonne National Laboratory in the United States, said subjecting the discs to a low magnetic field for around ten minutes was enough to destroy 90 percent of cancer cells in tests.

In a commentary on the report, Jon Dobson of Keele University in Britain said antibodies could be used to direct the discs towards tumour cells.

'This provides an elegant and rapid technique for targeting tumour destruction without the side effects associated with systemic treatments such as chemotherapy,' Mr Dobson wrote. -- AFP

What stance should S'pore take at Copenhagen?

Nov 30, 2009

By Euston Quah & Qiyan Ong

IN CASE you missed it, there's been more bad news from the climate scientists: The world is on the brink of an environmental calamity. That's the conclusion of the United Nations-sponsored Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The good news is that this purportedly man-made apocalypse can be averted if carbon emissions by developed countries are drastically cut by 25-40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 and developing countries reduce their emissions too. As the report has been presented as representative of the main scientific consensus, its findings have been widely perceived to constitute the truth.

The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference next month seeks to reach a binding global climate pact among 192 nations. Coincidentally or not, the only 'politically correct' option seems to be 'cap and trade': a system where those who emit more than their permitted caps would have to buy the right to emit more from those who pollute less.

But that's just one side of the story. A study by another group of scientists known as the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) has concluded that the increase in man-made greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is not responsible for global warming. To make it more confusing, the NIPCC argues that 'a warmer world would be safer and healthier world for humans and wildlife alike'.

Although scientists have yet to reach a consensus on the issue, many are already urging cuts in carbon emissions. But the expense of switching to cleaner sources of energy would not be the only cost entailed in carbon cuts.

The battle against climate change can divert the world's attention from efforts to fight global hunger. In the recent food summit in Rome, world leaders failed to pledge funds for agricultural aid that the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation deemed necessary. An attempt to rally world leaders to commit themselves to eradicating hunger by 2025 has been unsuccessful.

The fact is the needs of the present generation have yet to be fulfilled and there are other equally deserving problems besides climate change that require attention. A drastic global climate change measure may affect the world's ability to grapple with these other problems. World leaders should adopt a balanced and pragmatic approach in combating climate change while alleviating poverty in the present generation.

The other major question is whether 'cap and trade' is the best option. A prerequisite for the system is that there must be sufficiently large differences in the marginal abatement cost - the cost of reducing a unit of pollution - across industries for trade to occur within a country. Thus, 'cap and trade' is not practical in small countries or countries with relatively uniform marginal abatement costs.

But trading across countries, although ideal, entails complex problems associated with sovereign rights since monitoring must be conducted across borders and uniform regulations must be enforced. It is also unclear how participating countries will share the revenue from auctioning the permits.

So what stand should Singapore take at the Copenhagen talks?

Limited in space and natural resources, Singapore cannot substitute fossil fuels with alternative energy sources such as wind or hydroelectric power. Furthermore, the current technologies of harnessing and storing solar power have yet to become economically viable.

To uphold its international reputation for environmental conservation, however, Singapore should do its part as a global citizen. In terms of controlling carbon emissions, it can contribute through continually revising its fuel mix composition to ensure energy efficiency. It can also use its experience in urban and environmental management practices to aid poor countries in these areas.

Carbon trading would be a premature resolution for Singapore as the marginal abatement cost is relatively uniform across local industries. Some suggest that with its mature capital market and sound financial management system, Singapore can position itself as the regional carbon trading centre. But it is unlikely that South-east Asia will achieve the level of integration necessary for regional carbon trading in the near future.

A more realistic way for Singapore to reduce carbon emissions is to introduce a carbon tax. This would be simpler to administer and would cover all carbon in the economy. As the price of 'dirty' goods increases, consumers will turn to green goods. This will in turn attract private initiatives for green technologies. Receipts from the carbon tax can either be used to reduce other taxes or channelled into green research.

Fraught with uncertainties and practical problems, the Copenhagen summit is unlikely to achieve the goal of binding quantity cuts. Nevertheless, it has successfully attracted the public's attention to a global environmental problem.

Euston Quah is professor of environmental economics and head of economics at NTU. Qiyan Ong is pursuing her PhD at the university.

Docs in a tight spot when dealing with underage sex cases

Nov 28, 2009

I REFER to Monday's letter by Mr Chan Wing Cheong, 'Consensual underage sex: Review two law issues'.

I share Mr Chan's observation that the duty to make a police report when one becomes aware of underage sex should be clarified by the legislature.

Section 22(1)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) currently requires anyone who is aware of certain Penal Code offences to report the matter to the police, unless the person can prove 'reasonable excuse' for not reporting.

All sexual offences under Chapter XVI of the Penal Code are reportable. This includes sexual penetration of a minor under 16 years old with or without the minor's consent under Section 376A of the Penal Code.

Before Section 376A of the Penal Code was enacted last year, consensual underage sex used to be prosecuted as carnal connection with a girl below 16 years old under Section 140(1)(i) of the Women's Charter.

Section 140(1)(i) of the Women's Charter, with a shorter maximum jail term, is probably retained along with Section 376A of the Penal Code so as to give state prosecutors the discretion to invoke it in deserving cases such as those involving consenting teens. As Section 22(1)(a) of the CPC does not cover offences under the Women's Charter, there is no reporting obligation under the CPC for section 140(1)(i).

However, the fact that both the Penal Code and Women's Charter provisions cover consensual sexual intercourse can create practical difficulty for professionals like doctors. Suppose a 15-year-old girl confides in a general practitioner that she had sex with her 15-year-old boyfriend. Is the doctor obliged to report the matter as an offence under Section 376A of the Penal Code? Or can the doctor regard the matter as an offence under Section 140(1)(i) of the Women's Charter for which no reporting obligation arises under the CPC?

If cases of consensual underage sex should all be reportable as offences under Section 376A of the Penal Code, a further question is whether medical confidentiality may operate as a 'reasonable excuse' for doctors not to report such matters. As Mr Chan rightly pointed out, the meaning and scope of the 'reasonable excuse' exception has not been tested in the courts.

Paragraph 4.2.3.1 of the Singapore Medical Council Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines provides that medical confidentiality is a general but non-absolute rule which may be overridden by legislation, court orders or when the public interest demands disclosure of such information. But is there public interest in reporting consensual underage sex to the police such as to override medical confidentiality?

Until these issues are clarified by legislation or case law, doctors have to continue to steer between the Scylla of breaching medical confidentiality and the Charybdis of not reporting what is potentially a reportable offence. The Scylla may result in a patient complaint leading to disciplinary proceedings, while the Charybdis may lead to criminal prosecution for contravening Section 22(1)(a) of the CPC. I hope the law in this regard can be clarified soon.

Eric Tin

[This is a valid question. Doctor-patient confidentiality could possibly be invoked as a reasonable excuse for the doctor not to report consensual underage sex. The primary role of the doctor is to serve the healthcare and medical care needs of the patients. Enforcement of the law is not his primary duty. If Doctors are required by law to report such offences, then sexually active minors with related health issues would avoid going to doctors and this would be eventually more detrimental to their well-being. ]