Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

[jw5]

Jamus starts house visits in 2025.

Jamus Lim​

20 January at 18:10 ·
#TeamSengkang launched our house visits for the new year at 260A #Compassvale, and 325C and 326C #Anchorvale. Over a weekend, we also made trips to the 308 coffeeshop to say hello.
In our conversations, the theme of the cost of living remains front and center of people’s minds. This isn’t just about higher prices at the hawker center or how utilities bills have gone up, as much as they may garner complaints. Most accept that a good part of price fixes are global, and as an open economy that imports most of our food and fuel, we will inevitably import some inflation from abroad.
Rather, many felt the acute pain of higher costs from longer-term perspective: costlier healthcare, ever-pricier cars, and—top of mind for most—how HDB prices have run so far ahead that the next generation are feeling increasingly priced out of the market. And it isn’t just young couples who are dismayed by this, either; a long discussion with a couple that had grown children emphasized how, as parents, they were worried about how their kids would be able to move into a place of their own.
The rising cost of living was a topic that the #workersparty had raised in Parliament at the tail end of 2023. Despite the intervening time—and falling rates of inflation—Singapore’s cost of living remains a problem for many households. This goes beyond what strikes many as short-term palliatives, like bigger one-time handouts or temporary tax relief. Our proposed solutions at the time, which were focused on structural problems and solutions, remain very relevant.
For HDB BTOs, one area that I’ve especially felt was problematic is the stubborn insistence on adhering to land pricing recommendations from the chief valuer. This, in turn, is based off comparables (the land value is typically backed out as a residual from comparable resale prices, after netting out development and other costs). This not only unquestioningly accepts the resale market’s pricing of flats as the benchmark; it also embeds any pricing bubble from existing resale prices into those of new flats, thus creating an adverse feedback loop.
The way government squares this circle of affordability is to offer subsidies and grants to help offset escalating land costs, which results in HDB running at a loss. The reason for not pricing land differently is, ostensibly, because we don’t wish to “raid the reserves” and “steal from future generations.” But surely by financing ever-rising amounts of grants and subsidies, we are just taking from one hand and putting it into the other? Wouldn’t it be simpler and more transparent to just price the land for public housing at a discount—which is what we already do with different tiers for land betterment charges—and not have this roundabout of higher headline prices, that gets offset by higher grants?
Folks may disagree with my diagnosis of how we should handle the rising costs of real estate, of course. But for me, I’m reasonably convinced that land valuations have a significant pass-through effect on a whole range of prices elsewhere in the economy, beyond their direct impact on rentals and house prices. And existing solutions appear to target the symptom, rather than the underlying problem. #makingyourvotecount

 

[jw5]

Jamus tries to convince a resident.

 

[k1976]

Why Singapore Is Trying Not to Drain the Swamp​

People walk along the boardwalk in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
Photographer: Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images
By Justina T Lee
25 January 2025 at 9:00 AM SGT
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Welcome to Singapore Edition. Each week we bring you insights into one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. If you haven’t yet, please sign up here.

This week, Justina T. Lee looks at plans to preserve the island’s biodiversity, Marcus Wong watches the Trump effect filter into the local markets, and Alfred Cang wonders why there are so many property agents.

Swamp Fever​

Ten years ago, on Jan. 19, 2015, the National Parks Board gave its first lecture in a program that would transform Singapore’s approach to maintaining its green spaces, pivoting from a policy based on preservation and provision of public spaces to a systematic attempt to restore the island’s natural environment and biodiversity.

The latest chapter in that journey was announced this month with a plan to create a 72.8 hectare mangrove park in Mandai, along a stretch of the northern shore close to the existing Sungei Buloh nature reserve. Due to open in 2028, it would be Singapore’s third-largest park. NParks said it will also construct and enhance three other parks in the west of Singapore.

 

[jw5]

Jamus wishes all who celebrate the Lunar New Year a wonderful Snake year ahead.

Jamus Lim​

28 January at 18:13 ·
新年快乐，万事如意，心想事成，身体健康！Wishing all who celebrate the Lunar New Year a wonderful Snake year ahead, and may it bring bountiful blessings and great joy.

 

[jw5]

Jamus had the honor of joining devotees at 般若念佛堂 PUAT JIT BUDDHIST TEMPLE in #Anchorvale to usher in the Chinese New Year.

Jamus Lim​

29 January at 18:01 ·
I had the honor of joining devotees at 般若念佛堂 PUAT JIT BUDDHIST TEMPLE in #Anchorvale to usher in the Chinese New Year with a time of prayer, chanting, and contemplation. It was my first (but hopefully not last!) visit to the temple, and I had the the pleasure of being introduced to all the work that they do, which goes beyond just meeting the spiritual nourishment of the people, but also their many material needs, too.
I’ve long believed that religious institutions do much more than simply serve the faithful. They often have their finger on the beating heart of the town in which they’re based, and are essential for building and strengthening social connections within the community. Many provide services that are either sorely needed—like a kindergarten or soup kitchen or funeral rites—or truly appreciated, like bursaries and counseling. They are deeply entrenched in the daily life of #SengkangGRC.
A couple of years back, I had raised the issue of how many of churches, mosques, and temples faced a real difficulty in renewing their land leases, which threatened their ability to continue serving their communities (you can read the speech here: https://leaderoftheopposition.sg/.../dedicated-land.../). I wasn’t the only one to have done so, of course. Thankfully, in May that year, MND also announced changes to the land allocation and pricing framework that would better accommodate the needs of these institutions, including in Sengkang (in Fernvale, which is technically under Ang Mo Kio GRC). This welcome development will ensure that Puat Jit—and other religious bodies like it—will remain in place as cornerstones of Sengkang town.

 

[k1976]

路遥知马力，日久见人心

 

[k1976]

Good Job, Dr Jamus
U are a good worthy son of this land

 

[jw5]

Jamus poses with 2 uncles.

 

[k1976]

Jamus had the honor of joining devotees at 般若念佛堂 PUAT JIT BUDDHIST TEMPLE in #Anchorvale to usher in the Chinese New Year.

Jamus Lim​

29 January at 18:01 ·
I had the honor of joining devotees at 般若念佛堂 PUAT JIT BUDDHIST TEMPLE in #Anchorvale to usher in the Chinese New Year with a time of prayer, chanting, and contemplation. It was my first (but hopefully not last!) visit to the temple, and I had the the pleasure of being introduced to all the work that they do, which goes beyond just meeting the spiritual nourishment of the people, but also their many material needs, too.
I’ve long believed that religious institutions do much more than simply serve the faithful. They often have their finger on the beating heart of the town in which they’re based, and are essential for building and strengthening social connections within the community. Many provide services that are either sorely needed—like a kindergarten or soup kitchen or funeral rites—or truly appreciated, like bursaries and counseling. They are deeply entrenched in the daily life of #SengkangGRC.
A couple of years back, I had raised the issue of how many of churches, mosques, and temples faced a real difficulty in renewing their land leases, which threatened their ability to continue serving their communities (you can read the speech here: https://leaderoftheopposition.sg/.../dedicated-land.../). I wasn’t the only one to have done so, of course. Thankfully, in May that year, MND also announced changes to the land allocation and pricing framework that would better accommodate the needs of these institutions, including in Sengkang (in Fernvale, which is technically under Ang Mo Kio GRC). This welcome development will ensure that Puat Jit—and other religious bodies like it—will remain in place as cornerstones of Sengkang town.

Like that consider racist or notch?
Dr Janus should be visiting other races to be inclusive de woh…according to latest prata

 

[k1976]

Jamus poses with 2 uncles.

View attachment 214151

Good effort
But must Leemember DEI Racial Hamony Guideline

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

3h ·

Parliament of Singapore​

4h ·
Earlier this afternoon afternoon, Deputy Speaker Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo, together with Members Mr Fahmi Aliman and Associate Professor Jamus Lim met with the members of the UK Commonwealth Parliamentary Association led by Rt Hon Baroness Winterton of Doncaster. The delegation from United Kingdom are in Singapore for a visit.
Singapore and the UK celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations this year, and the visit showcases the strength of inter-parliamentary ties. Both sides exchanged views on a wide range of issues as well as thoughts on best practices in parliamentary engagement.
Both Dy Speaker and Baroness Winterton reaffirmed their commitment to deepening ties between both countries in the years ahead.

 

[jw5]

Jamus had the pleasure of joining the kids at Little Unicorn Preschool for their Chinese New Year celebration.

Jamus Lim​

11 February at 16:26 ·
Recently, I had the pleasure of joining the kids at Little Unicorn Preschool for their Chinese New Year celebration. The children performed a number of acts, and I was able to also offer some thoughts to them (and their parents) before we broke for lunch.
I shared about what Chinese New Year means to me. I had grown up in a mixed ethnic household—my father is Peranakan, while my mother, Chinese—and hence we followed practices that drew on both of these cultures. Indeed, because Mom’s mother tongue is a mix of Sinic languages (principally Hokkien, but also Cantonese and Hakka), whereas Dad’s was Malay, I ended up with a English as my mother tongue, despite it being neither of my parents’.
Chinese New Year holds deep significance for Peranakans, too, and so I got to learn about the traditions that were fostered by each group, including their distinct cultural practices and cuisines shared during reunion dinner (one way to describe Nonya food is Southeast Asian spices and techniques, but with pork). I reminded them that this weaving together of different traditions into a common story is what makes Singapore special, and it was something that they can carry with them as they write the next chapter of that story.

 

[jw5]

Jamus cooks Chili Con Carne.

Jamus Lim​

15 February at 19:48 ·
The first time I heard about Chili Con Carne I thought, like most Singaporeans, that Texans and Mexicans who ate the stuff by the bowl had stomachs of steel. What I subsequently learned was that the dish was fairly mild, and most locals would scarcely sense much spiciness at all. But what is in place of the fiery heat is a richness of flavor that comes from stewing minced meat and sausage with a blend of herbs and spices (like garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, and jalapeño), which is brought together by a rich tomato and bean base.
For me, what’s most interesting about chili is how it takes a very messy mix of quite different ingredients—many of which, quite frankly, often sit forgotten in the spice rack or get buried deep in the pantry cupboard—and gets them to work together. This doesn’t happen immediately, of course. Indeed, chili really needs to stew for a few hours at least, and is often most delicious after being allowed to rest overnight.
If this conjures up images of how immigrant communities can be made to work, it’s no surprise. When our forefathers came to this island decades or centuries ago, they often hailed from civilizations with long histories. Getting them to let go of their distinctive identities to forge a nation required a common purpose, and a willingness to cede the comfort of their inherited past for the promise of a brighter future. Much like chili, which was a dish born at the intersection of different cultures in the southeastern United States.

 

[jw5]

Jamus posed a question.

Jamus Lim

is with The Workers' Party.​

2d ·
In yesterday’s Parliamentary sitting, I posed a question about whether Singapore’s role as a transshipment hub may inadvertently introduce the possibility that we could be used by companies to skirt export controls. Indeed, the United States recently placed Singapore into a secondary tier of countries that would be constrained in their ability to trade in advanced semiconductors, which could in turn have implications for our nation’s aspirations to be an AI hub. This clip includes my follow-up questions along these lines, along with the relevant government responses. #makingyourvotecount
Postscript: I had misspoken in citing how NVIDIA’s revenues booked to Singapore amounted to only 7 billion, instead of the correct 17 billion. The fact that this places our country as the largest foreign revenue source, and that it amounted to about 20 percent of the firm’s total revenues in 2024, remain correct, however.

 

[searcher1]

Any talent person who is passionate about politics, will choose PAP for safe career advancement
Being associated with WP will only being constantly monitored by ISD, frequently mocked by PAP
However recently we see more qualified person joining the Opposition, despite knowing it's a uphill task
Really have to salute these individual who truly wishes to serve the Nation, Citizen comes first.

 

[jw5]

Jamus invites you for a run.

Jamus Lim​

12h ·
A change of scenery!
Instead of our usual meeting point in #Anchorvale, this month’s #SengkangGRC #RiverRun will take us to #Rivervale. We start from #RivervaleShores, and take the scenic route along Sungei Serangoon, before heading up toward Punggol, and back. The meeting point is at the Block 170 multipurpose hall (right beside the coffeeshops), at the usual 6.30pm.
See you there!

 

[jw5]

Jamus explains.

Jamus Lim​

1d ·
I do not generally get irritated by things folks say on the Internet (or for that matter, in Parliament), but felt it may be useful explaining why the macroeconomic effects of tax changes are more complicated than more simplistic analyses would suggest. For context, the Singapore government raised GST twice, at the start of 2023 and 2024. Even prior to it doing so, I had suggested, drawing on the experience of other countries (in particular Japan), that this could have an inflationary effect.
Let’s start, first, with why we shouldn’t necessarily expect any one-for-one translation of a tax hike, say, into prices. Basic micro theory tells us that the ultimate impact will depend on the responsiveness of supply and demand to price changes. So, it’s natural to expect a less than 1:1 effect, since the slopes of supply and demand curves are seldom vertical (or inelastic). In fact, I had made the selfsame argument about incidence, about a year ago, in the context of exemptions of essential items from GST. By this fact alone, you may infer that a 1 or 2 percent GST hike would only contribute a fraction of the increase in inflation experienced in those two years (which was 4.8 and 2.4 percent, respectively).
But it’s more complicated than that. After all, suppliers need not respond to a 1 percent tax increase by increasing prices by 1 percent. They could take the opportunity to alter prices that had remained fixed for a while, and choose to do so by more. Moreover, a tax hike can alter aggregate output in the macroeconomy. If the tax increase were to dampen demand (such policy is typically contractionary), prices could even fall, if demand falls sufficiently. And under certain conditions, the effect of a tax hike on output could even be amplified (so that it is more than 1:1). This is called a multiplier effect, and can depend on the state of the economy and the government’s fiscal position.
In fact, in research published five years back, a number of coauthors and I had established that if a government’s fiscal position was strong, multipliers can well be larger (and vice versa; see: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmoneco.2019.03.004). And of course, the above applies to the issuance of CDC and other vouchers, too, except that the effects would go in the opposite direction. But again, whether the vouchers are inflationary or not—and how much—depends on how things propagate in the macroeconomy.
What’s more, inflation was high worldwide during that period (about 6.8 and 5.9 percent). Since we import so much, higher worldwide prices tend to pass through to our economy. How much this occurs depends on our exchange rate, and how importers set their prices (following local or producer currencies). The bottom line is straightforward: How much the GST increase (or subsequent voucher distribution) contributed to inflation is, ultimately, an empirical question. And according to the MAS’ estimates, it was around 1 percentage point.
So did all this “turbocharge” inflation, as Pritam Singh had claimed in his #Budget2025 response speech? I suppose it depends on what you think turbocharge means (for me, it conjures images of a very fast snail, but that’s more due to my daughter’s TV diet than anything). Just by the numbers alone, 1 percent of the prior year’s 4.8 percent inflation is around 20 percent. Last year, the proportion was 40 percent. I’ll let folks decide for themselves if this contribution to inflation was significant.
PM Wong’s rebuttal to this explanation was that had inflation been higher, the GST impact would have been less. This is mathematically correct, but gets the policy logic all muddled. What matters is that we want to limit any contribution to inflation, at a time when prices are already rising fast. That’s why I had felt, even if we die-die needed to raise the money via GST rather than some other way, the hike couldn’t have been more ill-timed. It could have waited till inflation wasn’t as pressing, and when the consumer was hurting less.
After all, the ostensible purpose of the hike—to finance anticipated increases in healthcare expenditure for the elderly—would only really be needed from 2026 onward, when spending would jump by another 0.3 percent of GDP.. This is because while health-related spending did rise by 0.5 percent of GDP in 2021-25, we also had extraordinarily high corporate tax receipts in 2022 and 2023. This should have assured the government that we had sufficient resources to forestall the GST hikes.
In fact, we now know that, even without the GST increase, we would still have been able to post surpluses in recent years (PM Wong said that we would only be in deficit if corporate tax revenues had also not risen as it did). Whether you think we turbocharged inflation with the GST hike, insisting on raising taxes at an inopportune time is still puzzling, given our fiscal wiggle room. And while GST vouchers eventually rebated this amount to most households, the entire rigmarole just seemed so… unnecessary. #makingyourvotecount

 

[jw5]

Jamus had a discussion.

Jamus Lim​

3h ·
A while back, I sat down with the good folks from The Financial Coconut to discuss the economic problems and prospects for Asia’s three largest economies: China, India, and Japan. The discussion was wide-ranging, but I tried to anchor my views on understanding how history, institutions, and structure play a role in shaping contemporary economic outcomes, and how they may offer possible insights into how the future may unfold. We also touched on how these global macro trends impact the Singapore economy, and its relation to the rest of the world. You may watch the full video here:


YOUTUBE.COM
#investing in Asia: What about Japan, China & India. [Chills 208 ft Prof Jamus Lim]
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