Of AI, calculators and learning maths

 

WHILE teaching mathematics in two countries, Malaysia and China, I have noticed that the way students master this subject is deeply influenced by their own educational culture and assessment systems.

Scientific calculators and artificial intelligence (AI) are now part and parcel of the learning process. However, the students’ approaches to using these tools are still firmly rooted in the foundational values shaped by their respective systems.

In Malaysia, the use of scientific calculators is a standard practice among students at the upper secondary level.

Students are allowed to use them for mathematics and additional mathematics papers in the SPM exams, especially for questions involving trigonometry, logarithms or statistical calculations.

They do speed up calculations and minimise errors, but overly relying on them can sometimes lead to weaker mastery of basic computational skills and reduced understanding of the core mathematical concepts.

Teaching foundation students at Xi’an International University in China under the Universiti Malaya (UM) offshore programme revealed a very different learning system.

Many students there had never used scientific calculators before.

As they were preparing to pursue their undergraduate studies at UM, I made them use the calculators during lectures and assessments.

They were hesitant at first, but I could see their excitement when they tried to use the device.

Nevertheless, most of them continued to solve problems, such as multiplication, square roots and trigonometric expressions, manually and did so with remarkable speed and precision.

This comfort with manual computation stemmed from their early training and a system that actively reinforces such skills.

One of the main reasons for this is China’s national university entrance exam, Gaokao. Known for its intensity and competitiveness, Gaokao strictly prohibits the use of calculators in the mathematics paper. This policy is intentional; it aims to assess a student’s genuine computational skills, ensure fairness across all regions and backgrounds, and encourage deep mastery of mathematical principles without relying on technology. As a result, Chinese students are trained from young to memorise formulas and solve problems manually.

The outcome is a generation of students who possess strong fundamental skills and a high level of confidence when tackling complex problems using logical and structured steps.

Despite these systemic differences, global developments continue to impact both countries. Students in Malaysia and China are now turning to Ai-powered apps such as CHATGPT, Deepseek, Symbolab, and Photomath, and are becoming increasingly dependent on Ai-generated solutions without fully engaging with the problem-solving process.

To address this, I apply a simple yet effective approach in my classroom. Students are required to answer the questions using their own reasoning first before they are allowed to check or verify their answers using AI.

This approach trains them to think critically, assess their own solutions, and compare them with the output provided by AI tools. It also builds confidence in their conceptual understanding.

What I find most encouraging is how students respond when their answers differ from the Ai-generated ones. On several occasions, I have heard them say confidently, “I think my answer is correct. The AI is wrong.” To me, this is a clear indicator of authentic learning.

These students are not simply replicating solutions; they have internalised the logic, are able to explain their reasoning, and are not afraid to challenge the authority of a machine when they believe in their own understanding.

I fully support the integration of AI as a learning tool, but I also believe that solving problems manually and conceptual mastery of the subject – in this case mathematics – must remain the foundation of education.

Technology should enhance students’ learning but not replace their ability to think.

FATIN NABILA ABD LATIFF Senior lecturer Mathematics Division Centre for Foundation Studies in Science Universiti Malaya

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App launched to keep Internet up to speed

 

Improvements underway: Fahmi visiting the site of the Malaysia Day 2025 celebration at the PICCA @ Butterworth Arena. — Bernama

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Is your Internet keeping up to speed?

Download the Nexus app and check.

The app will then provide data to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and any telco that fails to deliver satisfactory service will face action.

The Nexus app, available for download by Android users, will enable MCMC to investigate and study the quality of Internet service throughout the route, said Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

“We have changed the mandatory standards on quality of service, MSQOS, to 10 Mbps,” the Communications Minister said.

“During a test, we found that from the Penang International Convention, Cultural and Arts Centre (PICCA) to the National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi) in Kubang Semang, the Internet speed is about 90-100mbps.

“To download and upload, it is about 20-30 Mb

“This is satisfactory.

“However, I have asked MCMC to make use of the data set from the Nexus app to identify locations that need to be improved,” he said during a press conference at Yayasan Aman here yesterday.

He said he had also asked MCMC to follow up with technical discussions with all telcos to see what technical aspects can be used to ensure that there is no disruption to the quality of service, especially when it changes from 4G to 5G.

Earlier, Fahmi paid a courtesy visit to Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at his office in Komtar before attending the main committee meeting for the Malaysia Day 2025 celebration there.

Fahmi said over 5,000 visitors are expected at the national-level celebrations in Penang on Sept 16, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the guest of honour.

The event will be held at PICCA @ Butterworth Arena and will be broadcast live across all official media and online platforms.

The celebration, themed “Malaysia Madani: Rakyat Disantuni”, will feature various community-level events.

Also expected to attend the celebrations are Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, Penang Governor Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Fahmi also said his ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa has been instructed to explore mechanisms for channelling funds to the Malaysian Media Council, which is currently in the process of forming its inaugural committee.

“I have asked the secretary- general to determine the most effective way to ensure that the planned funding can be properly channelled to the Media Council,” he said.

He also visited the Safe Internet Campaign, which involved hearing-impaired students from SMK Pendidikan Khas Bumbong Lima.

A total of 18 special education students with hearing impairments were given exposure to cybersecurity awareness and the ethical and responsible use of the Internet.

Three accompanying teachers acted as facilitators to ensure the smooth delivery of information to the student

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AIIB sets a stellar new example for international multilateral cooperation

 

Photo: AIIB

 
The 10th Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Board of Governors was held in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday. Looking back over the past decade, the AIIB has, amid growing global development challenges, have focused on connectivity, advanced open cooperation, and upheld multilateralism, thus effectively advancing sustainable development at both regional and global levels. Looking ahead, the AIIB will take this meeting as an opportunity to clarify the next strategic focus of development, further build consensus on cooperation, and inject the power of development, openness and cooperation into a world of changes and chaos.

When the AIIB was launched, President Xi Jinping called for making it "a new type of professional, efficient, and clean multilateral development bank." Over the past decade, the AIIB has maintained international, rule-based, and high-standard operations, embarked on a path with high starting point, high-quality development, and high-level cooperation, and pioneered a new model for global financial governance. 

The number of AIIB members grew from 57 to 110, covering 81 percent of the world's population and 65 percent of global GDP. It has approved over 300 projects with a total approved financing exceeding $60 billion, and has mobilized over $200 billion in capital, benefiting 38 members in Asia and beyond. It has consistently maintained the highest AAA credit rating from the three major international rating agencies, and has issued bonds in 20 currencies, raising over $54 billion in financing. 

The AIIB's remarkable achievements can be largely attributed to its unwavering commitment to multilateralism, operating in accordance with international rules, and upholding high standards. Robert Zoellick, former president of the World Bank, once noted that the AIIB has set a good example in the world in terms of governance, transparency, international standards and cooperation.

According to its latest partnership report, as of the end of 2024, the AIIB had co-financed 131 of its more than 300 projects with other multilateral development banks, demonstrating the AIIB's open-minded approach in pooling development synergy and its significant leading and promoting role in strengthening international multilateral cooperation. It has renewed memoranda of understanding with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank. It actively participates in relevant mechanisms of the G20, contributing the "AIIB approach" to global financial governance. It attends the ASEAN Summit to expand cooperation dimensions with regional organizations and jointly build a regional connectivity network. Faced with the urgent need to close the global infrastructure construction gap, the AIIB adheres to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, playing a crucial role in mobilizing development resources and reducing the risks of redundant investments.

Currently, as the world economy is facing growth challenges, and the international economic and trade landscape is undergoing major changes, the AIIB, with projects as its carrier and development as its orientation, continuously responds to the urgent needs of its members, especially developing member countries, injecting momentum into their common development. 

In Egypt, the Alexandria Abu Qir Metro Line Project has alleviated urban congestion, reduced carbon emissions, and benefited the travel of hundreds of thousands of people. In Uzbekistan, the Bukhara Region Water Supply and Sanitation Phase II Project has improved the water supply system and optimized public health services. In the Maldives, the Solar Power Generation and Battery Energy Storage Project has facilitated the green transformation of the energy structure. Each tangible and perceptible project that the AIIB is involved in reflects the solid steps taken in deepening and solidifying multilateral development cooperation. As Sri Mulyani Indrawati, governor of the AIIB and Indonesian Minister of Finance, noted, over the past 10 years, the AIIB has accumulated sufficient expertise and experience, and it is not just an emerging bank but has also become a driving force for global development.

As a founding member, key shareholder, headquarters host country and development partner of the AIIB, China has consistently supported its development and expansion. China has collaborated with the AIIB to implement a batch of high-quality projects and proactively shared China's development experiences with developing members. It has made donations to the AIIB's Project Preparation Special Fund and Concessional Financing Fund, providing support within its capacity to low-income members. With the aim to promote the AIIB's new development under the new circumstances, China advocates that the AIIB should provide greater support to members in enhancing their development capabilities, expand international dialogue, exchanges, and collaboration on a broader scale, and better leverage its role as a new-type multilateral platform.

At a critical juncture for deepening global development cooperation, the AIIB, standing at a new starting point, should make even greater achievements. China is willing to work with all parties to jointly support the AIIB in achieving continuous new development, and making new and greater contributions to promoting infrastructure connectivity and sustainable development and to advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

This article was originally published on the third page of the People's Daily on June 28, 2025.

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Hypocrisy in nuclear order

 

 

ON June 25, the Iranian Parliament voted to cut ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This unprecedented move followed a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, an act widely attributed to Israel and the United States.

 The decision signals a deep rupture in the already fragile global nuclear order. What makes this moment so alarming is not just the geopolitical tension it fuels but also the glaring double standards it exposes.

 For years, Iran has been a party to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons or NPT.

 In line with its legal obligations, it has allowed IAEA inspectors into its nuclear facilities and consistently stated at the United Nations and elsewhere that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

 Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly declared nuclear weapons as haram (forbidden) under Islamic principles because they cause indiscriminate destruction.

 And yet, despite signing the NPT and cooperating with global watchdogs, Iran continues to face harsh sanctions, diplomatic isolation and now physical sabotage due to its nuclear programme.

 Meanwhile, Israel, long believed to possess a nuclear arsenal, has never signed the NPT. Its nuclear programme remains beyond scrutiny, its facilities are not inspected and it faces no international sanctions or IAEA investigations.

 This nuclear opacity is tolerated, if not tacitly encouraged, by Western powers that claim to uphold non-proliferation principles.

Let’s ask the hard question: Which of these two countries poses a greater risk to international peace and security?

 Iran has not initiated a war in modern history. Israel has launched military operations across its region, from Lebanon and Syria to Gaza and Iraq.

 Iran’s nuclear programme is monitored; Israel’s is not. Yet, it is Iran that is painted as the threat.

 If Iran eventually withdraws from the NPT and begins developing nuclear weapons, the blame will not lie with it alone. It must be shared by those who weaponised the non-proliferation regime to target some states while shielding others.

 This hypocrisy corrodes the integrity of international law. The NPT is built on three pillars – non-proliferation, disarmament, and the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy.

 Yet, nuclear-armed states have not disarmed, and non-nuclear states like Iran are punished even when they comply.

 There is a way forward, one that demands honesty and universal responsibility. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), adopted by the UN in 2017, offers a path towards a world free of nuclear weapons. But none of the major nuclear powers have joined it. Instead, they cling to arsenals that they deny others.

 Nuclear weapons are not tools of peace; they are instruments of mass death. As long as some states are allowed to keep them, the world will continue to move closer to catastrophe.

 If we are serious about peace, then no country should be above the law. And the only sustainable global security is one without nuclear weapons, not one built on nuclear privilege.

 BY PROF DR MOHAMMAD NAQIB EISHAN JAN Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws International Islamic University Malaysia

 

Gathering of 10 defense ministers in Qingdao highlights appeal of 'non-aligned SCO'

 

Defense ministers from all 10 member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gather for a group photo ahead of the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the SCO member states in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on June 26, 2025. Photo: cnsphoto

From Wednesday to Thursday, the meeting of Ministers of Defense of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States was held in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, drawing extensive international attention. This is because the meeting not only served as a "warm-up event" for the Tianjin SCO Summit this year, but also achieved the "full attendance" of all 10 defense ministers. Amid a complex and turbulent regional and international landscape, the SCO provided member states with a spacious roundtable - highlighting its value in building consensus, narrowing divisions and promoting solidarity.

With Belarus attending the defense ministers' meeting as an SCO member for the first time, Iran's defense minister visiting China just after the Iran-Israel ceasefire as well as India's defense minister visiting China for the first time in five years and "appearing together" with Pakistan's defense minister for the first time after the India-Pakistan conflict - the trust shown by these defense leaders in the SCO underscores the precious coordination and cohesion of this multilateral security organization amid global turbulence. Today's international environment is marked by an acute shortage of public security goods, a glaring security deficit and weakened authority of international organizations - making finding a calm table for dialogue not an easy task. However, the SCO has provided a valuable platform for member states to "seek common ground while resolving difference" and an occasion to forge multilateral consensus. It has not only effectively acted as a "glue" between member states, but has also become a "ballast stone" for regional peace.

Notably, the SCO defense ministers' meeting in Qingdao was held almost simultaneously with the NATO summit in The Hague. On Wednesday, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that unlike NATO, the SCO can "further the peace in this region." China's Defense Minister Dong Jun emphasized that at a time when the international situation is intertwined with changes and turmoil, it is particularly important for the SCO to play the role of a "stabilizing anchor."

While NATO seeks to prove its "value to exist" by searching for so-called "imaginary enemies" worldwide, the SCO's philosophy of "not being an alliance directed against other states and regions" and "adhering to the principle of openness" offers a new approach to global security governance. The "Shanghai Spirit" based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development has lit up the path toward the construction of an equitable and orderly multipolar world order. 

Now in its 25th year, the SCO has expanded from its original six founding members into a "big family" of 10 member states, two observer states, and 14 dialogue partners - stretching from the East European plains to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Rim, and encompassing nearly half of the world's population.

The SCO has become a mature platform for regional security cooperation, with continuously growing influence, cohesion and appeal. Over the past 25 years, this "giant ship of security" has been riding the waves against terrorism, separatism and extremism, making outstanding contributions to regional security. The economic and trade dividends and people-to-people exchanges emerging from security cooperation have also been remarkable, significantly bringing the peoples of the member states closer together in all aspects.

At last July's SCO Summit in Astana, President Xi Jinping proposed five suggestions to jointly build a more promising home of the SCO, sending out the "SCO voice" of solidarity and mutual trust as well as common prosperity and revitalization. As the rotating chair of the SCO for 2024-2025, China remains a pillar of the organization. It champions the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and has put forward a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. It opposes the outdated "beggar-thy-neighbor" strategies and zero-sum mindset, and reaffirms that the security concerns of every nation - big or small - deserve respect. These principles have resonated both within the SCO and globally. From joint counterterrorism drills to intelligence sharing, from economic cooperation to cultural exchanges, the SCO addresses challenges through multilevel collaboration, offering "SCO solutions" to global security issues. It exemplifies the right way for different civilizations to engage with each other, and is helping forge a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. 

From enhancing strategic communication to advancing pragmatic cooperation, the SCO defense ministers' meeting in Qingdao showcased the organization's growth and commitments in the past 25 years. Facts have proven that the SCO is a vital force in maintaining regional peace and stability, and an important platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind. This year, within the SCO framework, China will host more than 100 meetings and events - polishing the "SCO Spirit" with "Chinese actions," and further deepening SCO practical cooperation in various areas. The world looks forward to the SCO paving a new security path for the future of a multipolar world and economic globalization.  - Global Times editorial

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