New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reacts following the announcement of her resignation at the War Memorial Hall in Napier, New Zealand, on Jan. 19. (Reuters/AAP Image/Ben McLay)
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won the hearts of Muslims across the globe when she, wearing a headscarf, comforted the families of victims of the massacre in two mosques by a white supremacist in Christchurch in 2019. Last Thursday, she again astonished an even larger audience with her abrupt resignation, although she stands a great chance to win the upcoming election in October.
The mother of four-year-old Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford has undoubtedly made a name for herself as an icon of statesmanship. She has played a role model of a leader who not only does her best for her nation, but also knows when to fade away to ensure a sustainable succession. She could have sought a third term, but she shows she is not hungry for power.
"The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple," the 42-year-old politician said of her reason to step down.
With a population of 5 million, New Zealand is a tiny nation. But its economic size ranks the country among the world’s richest. The country is a permanent dialogue partner of ASEAN along with the United States, China, the European Union, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Russia and India. Unlike close neighbor Australia, which acts as the deputy sheriff of the US, New Zealand has distanced itself from the rivalry of major powers.
Through her exemplary decision, Ardern has taught politicians, male and female, a lesson that they should be ready to leave office when the public do not want them anymore, or else the people will force them to go. Some leaders are willing to step down but prepare their own men or children as successors, but this is clearly not the case in New Zealand under Ardern.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo may have to ask his die-hard supporters who have been pushing for his term extension to reflect on Ardern’s bold decision. To prevent rampant abuse of power, which was rampant during the New Order authoritarian rule, the Constitution was amended in 1999 to limit presidential tenure to only twice.
In fact, Indonesian political culture knows no resignation. Politicians or officials tend to cling on power as long as possible by justifying all means.
Ardern won the Labor Party leadership shortly before she won the 2017 election. Her party further won the 2020 election. At that time she was facing at least three major challenges which she could overcome: The 2019 shooting spree of Muslims, the COVID-19 pandemic and the eruption of the White Island Volcano. Her strict lockdown policy to contain the COVID-19 transmission was much criticized, but later she proved she was right and her critics wrong.
The Labor Party elected Education Minister Chris Hipkins as Ardern’s successor on Sunday. The party hopes Ardern’s graceful exit will help it win the October election.
The world loves to see her as a true mother of New Zealand. Her ability to simultaneously perform her state and personal responsibilities, as a mother and wife, inspired and was looked up to by women all over the world. From the beginning, she has proven that women can break the glass ceiling when it comes to the highest office, which in advanced democracies like the US has not yet happened.
She has taught a precious lesson to world leaders that they should know when to call it quits. A true leader will not wait until his or her people force them to go. And we all owe it to Ardern’s beautiful mind.
Bursting at the seams: The Emergency Department at most public hospitals are packed and there are hardly any beds available. — SHAARI CHEMAT/The Star
PETALING JAYA: It’s like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie: patients holding on to their own IV bags, in pain from their illness or wounds, some standing while others sit on the hard hospital floor.
They’re all waiting long hours to be treated or to be admitted into a government hospital ward.
Some have allegedly been turned away from inpatient treatment due to a lack of beds.
These are among the claims shared by the public on social media as people experienced overcrowding in government hospitals when seeking treatment, as public healthcare facilities are stretched to bursting point with a high number of patient arrivals.
On Jan 18, the Twitter account of the group championing rights for contract doctors, @HKontrak (HartalDoktorKontrak), shared a picture of fully occupied beds and a packed emergency department at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).
“Received this picture from someone who went to the HKL emergency department. I believe this happened somewhere else as well.
“Patients coming in nonstop. Overcrowded. Doctors? Obviously not enough. We are still waiting for action from @Zaliha_DrZ @KKMPutrajaya,” the caption read, referring to Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa’s social media handle.
The post claimed that there a was more than 24-hour wait to be admitted into a ward, with almost 100 patients stranded in the emergency department during peak hours.
“Are we going to do something or just leave it to collapse?” the tweet said.
Another Twitter user, @hippochan94, said she saw a similar occurrence at another government hospital in the Klang Valley.
“Just yesterday I had a patient with acute appendicitis sitting on the floor with a bottle of drip in his hands, and a three-year-old kid with dengue who had to stand with the drip in her father’s hands. It is that bad. Medical officer to patient ratio 1:30,” she tweeted on Jan 18.
Azimah Abdullah Zawawi, in a Facebook post on Jan 17, said she was disappointed by the poor treatment of her son at Hospital Pasir Mas in Kelantan after he was involved in an accident.
She claimed that her son was not given proper treatment and the family told to take him home with only an outpatient follow-up scheduled for the next day, despite his poor condition.
She said the doctor refused to give inpatient treatment as the hospital was packed and didn’t have any beds available.
“An hour after I received a call that my son was involved in an accident, I arrived at the hospital and saw my son sitting in a wheelchair, with his face bleeding, vomit [on his front] and looking frail, with his clothes covered in blood.
“During treatment [to stitch her son’s mouth injuries], my son was left alone without supervision and with his mouth open for about 30 to 40 minutes,” she said.
She said she later took her son to be treated at another hospital after failing to persuade the attending doctor to admit him.
At the second hospital, her son’s stitches were redone and a wound on the stomach, which was overlooked at the previous hospital, was cleaned. She said she will submit a formal complaint to the Health Ministry via the Public Complaints Management System.
Public healthcare expert Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar, who went for a follow-up medical examination at a government specialist clinic last month, said it took him more than three hours to finish the examination, after taking a number to queue for his turn at 9am.
“Everything finished at 12.30pm. Many people were queueing up and many were also standing because there were not enough seats.
“The specialist room was also shared with medical officers. It was crowded too,” he said in a Facebook post on Dec 22 last year.
He said some examinations not available at the hospital were outsourced to a private facility at an estimated cost of RM120.
“The staff was not sure whether the cost of outsourced service is paid by the hospital or not,” he said.
Dr Zainal said he hopes the government will transform the national healthcare service system by taking into account all aspects, including services, resources, environment and financing.
On Jan 14, Yong Peng assemblyman Ling Tian Soon said Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Baru is among government hospitals facing constant overcrowding.
“The hospital is full of patients even early in the morning as patients come with their families to get treatment.
“With the assistance provided by the Johor state government in placing additional chairs, it has provided comfort for patients and families as they wait for their turn,” he said.
A safer future: Crucial to enhance cybersecurity with quantum technology. -123rf.com
THE launch of quantum computer Qianshi is a milestone in the development of quantum technology.
For the first time, a quantum computer is accessible in the public ICT network, and people are able to connect to it using their personal devices. It has only 10 quantum bits (qubits), with capabilities of a traditional computer (Baidu launches quantum computer in China and gives people access via PC, smartphone or the cloud, The Star, Aug 26, 2022).
Quantum computers can be far more powerful than any supercomputer, capable of breaking any conventional encryptions within a short period. In the lab, quantum computers with performance matching the supercomputers on specific problems have been realised.
This should be alarming to the fintech and banking sectors as the current encryptions in financial transactions based on the RSA cryptosystem are no longer secure.
The capability of the quantum computer is attributed to the way it computes that is different from conventional computing algorithms.
Making use of quantum entanglement or the superposition of a number of possibilities (called quantum states) from many qubits, one can search everywhere for an answer “at once” and get the answer almost instantaneously, without having to go through multiple searches in sequence.Scientists around the world are actively engaged in the education, research and innovation of quantum information science and technology, driven by awareness of its awesome potentials.
The race for developing quantum technology has started long ago, focusing mainly on quantum computation, quantum communication and quantum sensing or metrology. In December 2013, the United Kingdom government invested £370mil (RM1.96bil) in quantum technologies over five years.
The European Commission followed suit in 2016, and invested £1bil (RM5.30bil) over the next 10 years. China launched a quantum satellite in August 2016 and initiated a big plan to connect cities with secure communication networks. In December 2018, the United States Senate passed the National Quantum Initiative, allocating US$1.275bil (RM5.47bil) over five years for quantum information science research and education. Our neighbour Singapore is far ahead, having started the Centre for Quantum Technologies since 2007. In September 2020, Thailand announced US$6mil (RM25.73mil) to develop quantum technology over eight years.
The global investment in quantum science and technology has reached almost US$30bil (RM128.64bil) with a projected global quantum technology market of US$42.4bil (RM181.81bil) by 2027.
Notable companies like Microsoft, IBM, Google and D-Wave that have invested heavily in developing quantum computer have made rapid advancements and breakthroughs, with some having been listed in the stock markets. In November 2021, IBM unveiled its 127-qubit quantum processor Eagle, claimed to be capable of solving complex problems that a traditional computer is unable to solve. Just recently, in 2022, the University of New South Wales, Australia, and Quantinuum have made major strides to improve the reliability of quantum computation process.
While the true power of quantum computers has not been demonstrated yet, the days of public concern for data security are not far away.
Fortunately, quantum physics provides us with an unconditionally secure technique against hacking by a quantum computer. Known as quantum key distribution (QKD) technology, it is now available in the market.
It uses quantum properties of light to transfer information in the form of encrypted keys that cannot be eavesdropped by anyone.
This technology protects confidential information against any potential hacking. The current effort is to extend the secure communication distance to hundreds of kilometres via existing fibre optics network.
We can expect to have a regional-scale quantum Internet and a long-distance quantum communication network that promises secure links for government agencies, financial hubs between cities and the possibility of epolling.
As the way people work and businesses operate has transformed to be more reliant on ICT and online communications since the Covid-19 pandemic, boosting the level of cybersecurity with quantum technology is becoming more important than ever.
C.H. RAYMOND OOI
Professor Quantum & Laser Science group
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science
In addition, it built a system enabling everyone to gain access to the quantum computer with any device, including a smartphone.
The computer has just 10 qubits, fewer units for quantum computing than more advanced systems built by China’s top universities and Western companies, such as Google and IBM.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
Chinese tech giant Baidu to release self-driving car in 2023
But China’s leading quantum scientist said there were high hopes for the new system because it was a brave first step towards bringing the futuristic technology out of the laboratory.
“We have already achieved superiority with the performance of quantum computers
surpassing supercomputers on specific problems and further progress, such as programmable quantum computers, needs cooperation from industry
leaders and academic researchers,” said Pan Jianwei, a leading quantum scientist with the University of Science and Technology of China.
“I’m glad to see investment from China’s enterprises promote exploration,” said Pan, who led the development of the world’s first quantum satellite, Mozi.
The quantum computer is called Qianshi and can be accessed by a Baidu app from the Apple, Huawei or Xiaomi stores. Users can download
the software and send their own computing task, such as a quantum circuit experiment, to “Qianshi”.
The Baidu quantum computer uses superconducting materials to generate an extremely low temperature for the quantum processor unit, which is similar to a CPU in a
traditional computer.
The
superconducting fridge cools the QPU to near absolute zero degree through a multi-cascade cooling system, so the coherent quantum bit is not affected by thermal noise caused by high temperatures.
“It is the world’s first integrated solution for both the hardware and software of quantum calculation,” said Duan Runyao, director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, Baidu.
“The system is accessible from PC, phones and cloud. While users could enjoy the convenience of the software framework provided by Baidu, they could choose a suitable hardware for their calculation,” he said.
For now, apart from the Qianshi QPU, two separate chips – from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology – are also connected to the system.
China condemns new US law aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing
The new system may accelerate fundamental research in this area, according to Duan.
“Integration, automation and visualisation are the main technical features. The system helps with the standardisation of daily operation, and the chip initialisation efficiency is improved at least 100 times for researchers,” he said.
Progress on hardware also provides opportunities for commercial and industrial users.
“In the past, we had limited options for hardware and some online services from the US were not open to Chinese researchers. We hope Baidu’s device will promote our research in the academic world,” said Ji Zhengfeng, an expert in quantum computing theory with Tsinghua University.
Quantum computing has many applications. The classic computer, for instance, takes more than 100,000 years to solve the RSA public key password, a widely
studied password algorithm. A fully functioning quantum computer in the future will only take 1 second to find the password, according to some
estimates.
According to Duan, the industrial scale of quantum computing in the world will reach 800 billion yuan (US$116 billion) by
2031, and most large global enterprises will adapt quantum computing technology within a decade.
“In the future, when scientists use
100 qubits, problems in AI and portfolio optimisation could be solved. With 1,000 qubits, cryptographic security and chemical pharmacy will be
possible. With 10,000 qubits, global weather forecasting and big data processing will become common,” Duan said.
This Chinese New Year-inspired bucket list involves travelling the world to see sculptures or statues of all the 12 characters of the Chinese zodiac.
THE Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 characters. In order, the characters are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year here), which typically falls between late January and February, the new Chinese zodiac year begins. Today is the last day of the year for the Water Tiger; the Water Rabbit will begin its cycle tomorrow.
The Chinese zodiac predates China’s Qin Dynasty (221–207BC), and the cycle of the 12 creatures was established before or during the Eastern Han Dynasty, according to ancient documents found years ago.
Each zodiac character or animal (obviously, the dragon isn’t an animal but many centuries ago, people believed in its existence on Earth) has its own unique traits. These traits are then said to be an indication of what the year will be like. For example, the rabbit is the symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture, so 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope for many.
Of course, there is no real science behind all these narratives, so many people don’t really believe in the predictions, or just take them with a pinch of salt.
By now, you have probably seen a handful of stories which recommend destinations you should travel to in 2023 based on your Chinese zodiac sign. Do remember that most of these are just articles written in jest, and should not be taken too seriously.
However, if you do wish to add some elements of the Chinese zodiac into your travel, here are some places around the world you can visit that feature sculptures or statues of the animals.
RABBIT
Locations: Japan (Miyazaki and Kyoto), Wales (Lland-udno), Germany (Friedrichshafen)
The Rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac and this year is its time to shine. In Friedrichshafen, a city in south Germany, there is a fountain featuring bronze sculptures of animals created by German sculptor Gernot Rumpf.
The fountain, Buchhornbrunnen, is said to be one of the city’s main tourist attractions, alongside the Zeppelin airship, which was founded there. The sculptures around the fountain feature funny-looking animals, including the water-spouting female bunny (pic) with a braid. It is said that Rumpf commonly adds braids to his sculptures of female animals.
In Japan, there are several locations in which you can find rabbit statues.
In Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu island, there is a stone rabbit statue in the Udo Shrine, which is located in the Nichinan coast. Don’t be surprised to find many coins scattered around the statue as most visitors will place them there. They will also touch or rub the rabbit’s head, as they believe that this will bring them good luck.
Meanwhile, in Kyoto there is a pair of black and white rabbit statues located within the Okazaki Shrine. Visitors who come here, especially those wishing to conceive, will splash the black rabbit’s tummy with water for good luck.
In northern Wales, there is a town called Llandudno where you can find a huge wooden statue of a rabbit. It is actually the White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s famous novel. It is said that Carroll (whose real name was Charles Dodgson) based the “Alice” character on a real-life girl named Alice Liddell. The Dodgsons and Liddells were close family friends, so one summer, Charles reportedly joined Alice and her family to their summer holiday home in Llandudno.
It is speculated that Charles was inspired by Alice and her many adventures in Llandudno. Even though there are no official documents to prove this, the White Rabbit statue was put up by the local council in 1933 to support
this speculation. Visitors can also find other statues and Alice In Wonderlandthemed trails in town.
RAT
Location: Malaysia (Penang)
Located in Ayer Itam, Penang, the Kek Lok Si Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. The temple is a significant place of pilgrimage for Buddhists here, as well as those from neighbouring countries including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines. The complete temple complex was constructed between 1890 and 1930 thanks to an idea from the abbot at the time, Beow Lean.
Somewhere in the temple grounds, you can find a large statue of the Rat, which actually looks kind of cute.
OX
Location: Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, the Wong Tai Sin Temple is not just a well-known Taoist temple but a popular tourist attraction too. It honours Wong Tai Sin, a Taoist deity known in several regions including Hong Kong as a great healer. The temple receives millions of worshippers and visitors each year as supposedly it is the best place to go to get your wishes and prayers granted, through the ancient practice of fortune telling or “kau chim”.
Once you’re done with the kau chim, take a walk around the temple to search for a statue of the human-bodied Ox holding a large sword.
TIGER
Location: Norway (Oslo)
In Oslo city, the capital of Norway, one of the first things you will see upon arrival at the train station is the statue of a tiger. Yes, this tiger at the Oslo Central Station is definitely popular not just with international tourists but with locals too.
The statue was gifted to the city by a property management company called Eiendomsspar in 2000, when Oslo celebrated its 1,000th year. The local council had requested for a tiger sculpture as the city’s nickname is “Tigerstaden”, or Tiger City.
The 4.5m-tall bronze sculpture was created by artist Elena Engelsen.
DRAGON
Location: Thailand (Nakhon Pathom province)
Wat Sam Phran in Thailand is one of those handful of amazing places of worship that you just have to visit. Located about 40km from Bangkok, in the Nakhon Pathom province, the temple is famous for the majestic red and green dragon sculpture that wraps around the building’s 80m-high cylindrical edifice.
Oh, and the edifice is pink. The temple has been around since the 1980s, and is sometimes referred to as the “Dragon Temple”.
SNAKE
Location: Thailand (Ratchaburi and Bueng Kan provinces)
Also in Thailand are two places where you can find snake statues. One is in the Khao Ngu Stone Park in Ratchaburi province. Khao Ngu means “snake mountain” in Thai, so you can pretty much figure out what you can find in abundance here. In fact, as you arrive at the park, you will walk past a large cobra statue that doubles as a water fountain.
Meanwhile, in Bueng Kan, you won’t just find a statue of a snake, but a whole cave that resembles a snake! The Phu Langka National Park, which lies in the Bueng Khong Long district, is home to the Naka Cave (also known as the Naga Cave). Naka is “snake” in Thai and it refers to the texture of some of the stones nearby, which resemble the scaly skin of a snake.
HORSE
Location: Spain (Barcelona)
At the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, you can find two bronze sculptures of a chariot being pulled by horses, made by artist Pablo Gargallo.
You can also find a similar statue at the 12ha Can Drago park. In fact, you can find many beautiful horse sculptures and statues in Barcelona and other major cities in Spain. The country has a long history in equestrian, and horses are considered an important part of the Spanish culture.
Some of the statues in Barcelona were commissioned for the Barcelona International Exposition in 1929, and the Summer Olympics in 1992.
There’s also a funny-looking black horse statue at the airport, and another one upon which Raimundo Berengario III the Great, once the count of Barcelona and other regions, rides.
GOAT
Location: Republic of Ireland (County Kerry)
Ever imagined seeing a statue of a goat wearing a crown? Well, you can if you visited a little place called Killorglin Town in County Kerry, Ireland.
This statue of a male goat, which is also known as a puck (the statue is nicknamed “King Puck” as the goat is wearing a crown), is the symbol of one of Ireland’s oldest festivals, the Puck Fair.
The celebration begins on Aug 10 each year, and lasts for three days. During Puck Fair, a wild puck is captured and crowned the “king of the town” for a whole three days before he is returned to his regular life in the hills. The four-legged king is brought to the town square where he is crowned by the “queen”, which, surprisingly (or maybe not) is a local girl and not a female goat.
The king is then put on his “throne”, which is basically a cage placed on a raised platform so that he can see what his “subjects” are doing at all times. Or at least for the duration of his reign.
At the end of Puck Fair, the goat is relieved of all his kingly duties, and released back into the wild.
Though this story seems unlikely, it is actually true. We definitely recommend visiting Killorglin Town in August just for the Puck Fair.
Monkey
Location: Indonesia (Bali)
Folks who have been to Bali would have probably visited the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary or Mandala Suci Wenara Wana in Ubud, home to more than 1,000 long-tailed macaques.
Commonly known to tourists as the Ubud Monkey Forest, the place is the native habitat of these macaques, which are revered by the locals. There are three temples in the sanctuary: Dalem Agung Padangtegal, Holy Spring, and Prajapati.
On each of the temples you can find several statues and sculptures of monkeys, some of which symbolise ancient stories and myths.
Look for the three monkeys holding these poses – see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil!
Rooster
Location: Turkiye (Denizli)
In Turkiye, there is a breed of rooster called the Denizli that is native to ... the city of Denizli. This rooster is known for its beautiful colourful feathers as well as its distinct crowing. It has been associated with the city since the Ottoman times and is regarded as a symbol of Denizli.
Naturally, this is also where you can find many statues and sculptures of the fowl around the city. Among the more popular ones are the glass statue (said to be the largest glass statue of a rooster in Turkiye) that’s located in the town square, and the 27m-tall iron statue situated on a hill. In 2019, the statue was still under construction and so far there has not been an update on whether it is finished or not.
However, a local report states that authorities are hoping for it to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest statue of a ... rooster. Good luck, Denizli!
Dog
Location: Japan (Tokyo)
You have probably heard or read of the story of Hachiko, the incredibly loyal Japanese Akita who waited at the train station for nine years for his owner to return.
Or maybe you saw the heartbreaking movie depicting this story starring Hollywood actor Richard Gere.
As the story goes, Hachiko would wait for his owner Hidesaburo Ueno to come home from work every day at Tokyo’s Shibuya Station. After Hidesaburo’s death, Hachiko continues to wait for him at the station, probably wondering what’s taking the guy so long to come home. Local commuters began to realise this, and started caring for Hachiko, but he refused to be taken in by anyone.
After nine years of living on the streets, Hachiko, too, dies.
In April 1934, a bronze statue in Hachiko’s likeness was placed permanently at Shibuya Station. But during World War II the statue was seized by the military to be repurposed – possibly melted and turned into a weapon.
A new statue was then made in 1948 by Takeshi Ando, the son of the original sculpture, Teru Ando. This statue remains at Shibuya Station to this day, and is in fact one of the top “meeting spots” in the city.
For those who are looking for more Hachiko adventure, head to the Odate Station in Odate City, Akita Prefecture, where another Hachiko statue (created in 1932) can be found. Odate is said to be Hachiko’s “hometown”.
In 2004, a separate Hachiko statue was created and placed in front of the Akita Dog Museum in Odate.
Pig
Location: Italy (Florence)
Il Porcellino, or “piglet” in Italian, is a bronze fountain of a boar in Florence, Italy that was sculpted in 1634. It is said that traditionally, visitors who wish to return to Florence or who are just looking for a bit of luck would rub the boar’s snout. Because of this, the original boar sculpture was moved to the Bardini Museum in 1998 to preserve it, and replaced with an identical bronze recast at the original site, which is the Piazza del Mercato Nuovo (the New Market) in Florence.
In addition to rubbing the snout, it is also customary to put a coin in the boar’s mouth. If the coin falls under the fence, you will have good luck, but if it falls outside of it, you should be wary of your surroundings.
- The Star Malaysia21 Jan 2023 By CASSANDRA VICTOR and MELODY L. GOH lifestyle@thestar.com.my
We must let the elderly live a happy and good life at their old age. Respecting and caring for the aged is one of the virtues of the Chinese. Whether a society is happy depends very much on whether the elderly are happy." Wise CNY words from President Xi Jinping.👍👍👍
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