Malay Math

When Singapore’s affirmative action allows Malay students to pay zero school fees all the way up to their tertiary education, which has raised the mathematical proficiency of the Malay community over the decades—Malay math students, of which 99⁺% are Muslims, have fared reasonably well in international comparative studies like TIMSS and PISA vis-à-vis their foreign counterparts, albeit they still have some catching up to do compared to their local peers from other races.

Years ago, based on some TIMSS rankings, a Malay cabinet minister had figured out that Singapore Malay students are unofficially among the “world’s top ten,” which positively suggests that Malay math policies have helped raise the quantitative literacy of the Malay or Muslim community in Singapore.

by MathPlus July 15, 2021

Mala Math

HOT (higher-order thinking) math questions that give you an intellectual kick to the point that they could temporarily numb your mind before you experience an aha! in solving them—mala is a spicy and numbing seasoning made from Sichuan peppercorn and chilli.

Geeks in Singapore who are attending enrichment math programmes from premium tuition centers have been begging their coaches for more mala math quickies and trickies and toughies to satisfy their mathematical cravings.

by Fasters December 29, 2021