-
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?
- Thread starter batman1
- Start date
Jamus Lim
20h ·The Workers' Party
20h ·In his speech on the Platform Workers Bill, MP Jamus Lim sketched out how the economics of platform work leaves many gig workers in a vulnerable position, which in turn contributes to insufficient retirement saving on their part. While he supported the Bill, he also offered some suggestions on how to improve incentives for signing on to CPF, while limiting inadvertent discrimination against workers on the scheme.
#wpsg #makeyourvotecount #SGParliament
Jamus discusses unemployment insurance. 
In the recent National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong provided more details about the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme (JSS), the PAP’s version of unemployment insurance. The #workersparty first raised its version of redundancy insurance (RI) close to two decades ago (it first showed up in a manifesto way back in 2006), and we offered substantial detail ten years thereafter (our 2016 policy paper is here: https://wpsg.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/.../WP...). So I think it’s fair to say that we’ve been thinking about the issue for a while now. But the point isn’t about precedence—after all, such schemes have been a mainstay in advanced economies worldwide for close to a century—but about why it’s way overdue in Singapore.
As an aside, the PAP has chosen to sell the narrative that the JSS isn’t unemployment insurance, based on—as far as I can gather—how it is tied to jobseeking preconditions, and how it’s funded from general revenue, not a payroll tax. For me, these are distinctions without a difference. Tax revenue is fungible, so it all comes from the people anyway (even corporate taxes are ultimately paid by the company’s shareholders), whether the source was from an explicit payroll tax, or elsewhere. But if anything, funding it from general revenue makes it a little less fair, since it’s making non-workers subsidize workers for a program that benefits the latter. But since we’re overwhelmingly wage earners, this difference isn’t a big deal. And to be clear, in our proposal, we did suggest cost-sharing as well, with employers, workers, and government (see, we do believe in tripartism) chipping in to keep the scheme fair and sustainable. After all, protecting workers should be a societal responsibility.
Moreover, tying support to some evidence of jobseeking or retraining is standard in unemployment schemes around the world. Indeed, a primary consideration in any unemployment insurance scheme is how to provide a safety net, while discouraging moochers. Having been raised with an ethos that stresses scarcity (“we’ve no natural resources but our people”) and militates against welfare (“we cannot allow our people to rely on the state”), some have even gone as far as to ask if this move will create a dependency mindset. Setting aside how such fears strike me as overblown—most people, even in the West, do find value and meaning in some form of work—the question of how best to design a system that is more robust to freeriding (there’s that word again!) is nevertheless valid.
Unsurprisingly, economists have thought extensively about how best to design unemployment insurance schemes. While there isn’t a single answer for what would work best at all times, there are some general principles to keep in mind. The key balancing act is how best to calibrate how long unemployment support is offered (called the tenure requirement) against how much is being offered (the monetary requirement). An excessively long tenure discourages a return to the labor force, and will allow skills to erode. Ditto for a large payout, although if it’s too small, the unemployed will find the amount inadequate to sustain household expenses at a critical time.
The #workersparty had suggested a fairly narrow scope for qualification—based on involuntary retrenchment, not just being unemployed—with a solid-but-not-excessively-generous payout tied to income (40 percent of last drawn), for a relatively short time (up to 6 months). The amount is average (but on the low side for advanced economies), and while the duration is on the short end (the OECD average is a year), it is also consistent with our country’s relatively brief unemployment spells (of around 2 months).
We also thought that introducing additional flexibility of access—basically, allowing the unemployed to front-load how much of the total they take—would also buy families some time as they adjust their spending to the job loss. Undoubtedly, there’ll be more debate on the specifics of the JSS, when the legislation winds its way to Parliament. But whether you call it JSS or RI or something else, expanding the safety net for our workers is something that the #workersparty will always be fighting for. #makingyourvotecount
Jamus Lim
11h ·In the recent National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong provided more details about the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme (JSS), the PAP’s version of unemployment insurance. The #workersparty first raised its version of redundancy insurance (RI) close to two decades ago (it first showed up in a manifesto way back in 2006), and we offered substantial detail ten years thereafter (our 2016 policy paper is here: https://wpsg.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/.../WP...). So I think it’s fair to say that we’ve been thinking about the issue for a while now. But the point isn’t about precedence—after all, such schemes have been a mainstay in advanced economies worldwide for close to a century—but about why it’s way overdue in Singapore.
As an aside, the PAP has chosen to sell the narrative that the JSS isn’t unemployment insurance, based on—as far as I can gather—how it is tied to jobseeking preconditions, and how it’s funded from general revenue, not a payroll tax. For me, these are distinctions without a difference. Tax revenue is fungible, so it all comes from the people anyway (even corporate taxes are ultimately paid by the company’s shareholders), whether the source was from an explicit payroll tax, or elsewhere. But if anything, funding it from general revenue makes it a little less fair, since it’s making non-workers subsidize workers for a program that benefits the latter. But since we’re overwhelmingly wage earners, this difference isn’t a big deal. And to be clear, in our proposal, we did suggest cost-sharing as well, with employers, workers, and government (see, we do believe in tripartism) chipping in to keep the scheme fair and sustainable. After all, protecting workers should be a societal responsibility.
Moreover, tying support to some evidence of jobseeking or retraining is standard in unemployment schemes around the world. Indeed, a primary consideration in any unemployment insurance scheme is how to provide a safety net, while discouraging moochers. Having been raised with an ethos that stresses scarcity (“we’ve no natural resources but our people”) and militates against welfare (“we cannot allow our people to rely on the state”), some have even gone as far as to ask if this move will create a dependency mindset. Setting aside how such fears strike me as overblown—most people, even in the West, do find value and meaning in some form of work—the question of how best to design a system that is more robust to freeriding (there’s that word again!) is nevertheless valid.
Unsurprisingly, economists have thought extensively about how best to design unemployment insurance schemes. While there isn’t a single answer for what would work best at all times, there are some general principles to keep in mind. The key balancing act is how best to calibrate how long unemployment support is offered (called the tenure requirement) against how much is being offered (the monetary requirement). An excessively long tenure discourages a return to the labor force, and will allow skills to erode. Ditto for a large payout, although if it’s too small, the unemployed will find the amount inadequate to sustain household expenses at a critical time.
The #workersparty had suggested a fairly narrow scope for qualification—based on involuntary retrenchment, not just being unemployed—with a solid-but-not-excessively-generous payout tied to income (40 percent of last drawn), for a relatively short time (up to 6 months). The amount is average (but on the low side for advanced economies), and while the duration is on the short end (the OECD average is a year), it is also consistent with our country’s relatively brief unemployment spells (of around 2 months).
We also thought that introducing additional flexibility of access—basically, allowing the unemployed to front-load how much of the total they take—would also buy families some time as they adjust their spending to the job loss. Undoubtedly, there’ll be more debate on the specifics of the JSS, when the legislation winds its way to Parliament. But whether you call it JSS or RI or something else, expanding the safety net for our workers is something that the #workersparty will always be fighting for. #makingyourvotecount
Jamus enjoys his eggs. 
After a hectic week that included parliamentary sittings, several rounds of house visits, mid-autumn celebrations, and the first classes of the academic year, I finally was able to carve out some time for brekkie with the family.
Since our household doesn’t generally consume meat, we lean on eggs as a major source of protein. For breakfast, we tend to like it scrambled, but still creamy. This style—common in French kitchens—requires one to be very patient, slowly stirring the beaten eggs, mixed with generous dollops of butter, over a very low flame. It may call for periodically removing the pan from the heat altogether, should the mixture threaten to set. We pair the eggs with bagels or brioche, and top with (as in this case) some crème fraîche, chives, and cracked black pepper, or perhaps smoked salmon with chopped dill.
The discipline of taking time to do something right applies in many other areas of life, too. Often, it’s what distinguishes good work from excellent work. When I think about how craft defines quality—the meticulous attention to detail that goes into a Swiss watch, the attention that accompanies a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, or the aching precision the Taiwanese put into producing cutting-edge semiconductors—it is often because someone has taken the time to mull carefully about the hows and whys of what’s being done. In an age where the philosophy of innovation is often about moving quickly and breaking things, I think there’s equal value to taking a few steps back, and approaching what’s being done with mindfulness, consideration, and empathy.
Jamus Lim
·After a hectic week that included parliamentary sittings, several rounds of house visits, mid-autumn celebrations, and the first classes of the academic year, I finally was able to carve out some time for brekkie with the family.
Since our household doesn’t generally consume meat, we lean on eggs as a major source of protein. For breakfast, we tend to like it scrambled, but still creamy. This style—common in French kitchens—requires one to be very patient, slowly stirring the beaten eggs, mixed with generous dollops of butter, over a very low flame. It may call for periodically removing the pan from the heat altogether, should the mixture threaten to set. We pair the eggs with bagels or brioche, and top with (as in this case) some crème fraîche, chives, and cracked black pepper, or perhaps smoked salmon with chopped dill.
The discipline of taking time to do something right applies in many other areas of life, too. Often, it’s what distinguishes good work from excellent work. When I think about how craft defines quality—the meticulous attention to detail that goes into a Swiss watch, the attention that accompanies a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, or the aching precision the Taiwanese put into producing cutting-edge semiconductors—it is often because someone has taken the time to mull carefully about the hows and whys of what’s being done. In an age where the philosophy of innovation is often about moving quickly and breaking things, I think there’s equal value to taking a few steps back, and approaching what’s being done with mindfulness, consideration, and empathy.
Jamus is grateful to all the volunteers. 
Last Saturday, #TeamSengkang celebrated our mid-autumn festival at the Gardens precinct of #Anchorvale. The cluster, aptly named after the large amount of foliage in the central forum area, provided an idyllic setting for the (almost full) moon, and especially the flickering lights from our lantern procession, where we wound our way around the mezzanine floors and across the iconic wooden bridge.The kids—including our daughter, who came along for the fun—were really into the whole event, of course, fueled by mooncakes and ice cream and possibly way too many sweet treats. They even got into the story time (done in English this year), as they spread out on a giant tarp we had laid in front of the small stage area. I managed to sing at least one song about the moon (月亮代表我的心）, and another about the setting sun (it’s really tricky to find contemporary English songs featuring moons, as it turns out).As my wife commented, it was our most comprehensive and impressive mid-autumn event to date. I’m grateful, as usual, to all the volunteers who gave their time, energy, and patience as they manned the game and food booths. And of course, to all residents who came down to celebrate one of the major festivals on the Chinese calendar: we hope you had as much fun as we did! #SengkangGRC
Jamus Lim
·Last Saturday, #TeamSengkang celebrated our mid-autumn festival at the Gardens precinct of #Anchorvale. The cluster, aptly named after the large amount of foliage in the central forum area, provided an idyllic setting for the (almost full) moon, and especially the flickering lights from our lantern procession, where we wound our way around the mezzanine floors and across the iconic wooden bridge.The kids—including our daughter, who came along for the fun—were really into the whole event, of course, fueled by mooncakes and ice cream and possibly way too many sweet treats. They even got into the story time (done in English this year), as they spread out on a giant tarp we had laid in front of the small stage area. I managed to sing at least one song about the moon (月亮代表我的心）, and another about the setting sun (it’s really tricky to find contemporary English songs featuring moons, as it turns out).As my wife commented, it was our most comprehensive and impressive mid-autumn event to date. I’m grateful, as usual, to all the volunteers who gave their time, energy, and patience as they manned the game and food booths. And of course, to all residents who came down to celebrate one of the major festivals on the Chinese calendar: we hope you had as much fun as we did! #SengkangGRC
Jamus wishes everyone 中秋节快乐!
中秋节快乐! Although today is the actual day—and peak full moongazing opportunity—like many others, #TeamSengkang celebrated Mid-Autumn festivities at the Cape neighborhood of #Compassvale last Friday evening.
The kids were raucous but delightful, and sank their teeth (metaphorically)
into the riddles, pomelo-busting, and games, as well as (literally) into the old-school snacks and ice-cream. Traditions are kept alive by the next generation, and I’m happy that we were able to engage them in a way that, we hope, will also leave a deep and meaningful impression of the harvest festival, one that they will carry well into adulthood. I certainly recall the trauma that accompanied by lantern going up in flames when I was a child!
Thanks to all the volunteers who took the time off to contribute to our residents’ enjoyment at the start of the weekend. It may have been exhausting (especially in a multipurpose hall that would, ideally, be larger), but I’m sure the smiles and laughter of the children made it all worthwhile. #SengkangGRC
Jamus Lim
8h ·中秋节快乐! Although today is the actual day—and peak full moongazing opportunity—like many others, #TeamSengkang celebrated Mid-Autumn festivities at the Cape neighborhood of #Compassvale last Friday evening.
The kids were raucous but delightful, and sank their teeth (metaphorically)
into the riddles, pomelo-busting, and games, as well as (literally) into the old-school snacks and ice-cream. Traditions are kept alive by the next generation, and I’m happy that we were able to engage them in a way that, we hope, will also leave a deep and meaningful impression of the harvest festival, one that they will carry well into adulthood. I certainly recall the trauma that accompanied by lantern going up in flames when I was a child!
Thanks to all the volunteers who took the time off to contribute to our residents’ enjoyment at the start of the weekend. It may have been exhausting (especially in a multipurpose hall that would, ideally, be larger), but I’m sure the smiles and laughter of the children made it all worthwhile. #SengkangGRC
