OPINION

Panda woe Number One

Re: "Giant panda Lin Hui dies in Chiang Mai", (BP, April 20).

I was so sorry to learn about the death of poor Lin Hui, Chiang Mai's panda. Doubtless this was due to the pollution, the heat, the irresponsible public throwing junk food at her that is poisonous to panda diets (although I daresay there are signs warning against this) and her unnatural environment.

However, other more acceptable explanations, such as age, are likely to be put forward. I guess most people get nosebleeds periodically.

This brings to mind the unfortunate Bua Noi who is still languishing behind bars. She may have aircon but I doubt gorillas are acquainted with the technology.

Panda woe Number Two

Re: "Giant panda Lin Hui dies in Chiang Mai", (BP, April 20).

China is to be congratulated for saving the giant panda from extinction in the wild by stringent habitat protection. However, they still have captive breeding programmes which produce surplus cubs. None has ever been successfully introduced to the wild.

Panda diplomacy results in 10-year lease agreements with foreign zoos in friendly countries for a fee of normally US$500,000 (17.1 million baht) per pair per annum. It's a legal wildlife trade of dubious scientific value but financially lucrative for the zoos. The giant panda is not a social animal but leads a solitary existence except during a very brief breeding season. Their captivity is no substitute for the mountains of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

More polls needed

Re: "The politics of post-poll govt formation", (Opinion, April 21).

As May 14 approaches, the poll statistics are, as Prof Thitinan Pongsudirak notes, perfectly clear: "The momentum favours the opposition Pheu Thai (PTP) and Move Forward (MFP) parties well ahead of the government side, comprising Palang Pracharath (PPRP), United Thai Nation (UTN), Bhumjaithai (BJP) and Democrat (DP) parties."

This is consistent with a clear trend which the author also describes: "Over the past two decades, it has been clear where Thailand is going, despite military coups and consequently concocted constitutions as well as judicial interventions."

But this same evidence from polls and elections also undermines Prof Thitinan's concerns that "If the PTP forms a government with the MFP, the poll-leading party would be accused of subversion of the throne."

That is, a series of well-designed polls are needed on the thinking of Thais regarding this matter of the gravest national importance. The absence of such knowledge is not a sound foundation on which to base policy.

It is certainly not a healthy basis for making or applying law. A further benefit of regularly conducted polls is that they would show trends in the nation's evolving perceptions and feeling, surely a most pertinent insight?

In the absence of formal polls directly addressing the issue, the best available evidence is that of the obvious de facto proxy: the solidly rising popularity of the Move Forward Party.

Charm of MBAs eroding

Re: "A new MBA for AI era", (Opinion, April 22).

Lionel Laurent missed mentioning the existence of an important sector for up-skilling and re-skilling that has been operating in the USA, EU, and Asia for the last three decades. CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, and many other organisations have been providing certificate courses for a long time.

Charted account certification was an also must for getting a well-paid job in a company.

MBAs started as a fad replacing the hardcore curriculum of accounting, computer sciences, and related fields. It was created as a new talisman to deal with the rising demands of the private sector.

The irony is that none of the founders of big companies had an MBA degree. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Leonard Bosack and Sandra Lerner, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bozos, Jack Ma, and Elon Musk never bothered with an MBA. Some of them even made jokes about MBAs.

MBAs have helped universities enhance their private sector alliances; they have eroded the importance of other essential programmes.

Now Harvard and INSEAD want to revitalise the MBA curriculum by including computer science, accounting, and information technology (AI, IoT, machine learning) courses. Overall, the charm of the MBA degree is fading. Companies are looking for engineering, hardcore programming, and technology skills.