Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

[jw5]

Jamus gives a shout-out to t-shirt by Apparels Art.

Jamus Lim​

11 hrs ·
I was recently alerted to a T-shirt initiative where “cockles” would feature prominently in the design (I’ve somehow been irrevocably associated with that word). While I’ve generally shed away from endorsing stuff—people really should exercise self-determination in the goods and services that they buy and use, and what do I know about purchases more than the average informed consumer, anyway—I felt that I should give a shout-out to this effort by Apparels Art, since profits from the sale do go toward a good cause: funding a program for special-needs youth run by YMCA of Singapore. More information available here: https://www.apparelsart.com/collab/ymca

 

[jw5]

from theindependent.sg:

Jamus Lim gets a lump in his throat every time he hears ‘Count on Me Singapore’

He wrote in his post that the unapologetically patriotic National Day songs “are one of the things that make us uniquely Singaporean.”

Photo: Facebook/ Jamus Lim



Singapore — On the morning of Singapore 56th National Day, Aug 9, MP Jamus Lim (Workers’ Party – Sengkang GRC) wrote in a Facebook post that he still remembers the first time he heard “Count on Me, Singapore,” the popular song first performed at the National Day Parade in 1986.

HE ALSO WROTE THAT EVERY TIME HE HEARS IT, HE GETS “A LUMP IN MY THROAT.”

Dr Lim, who is currently in the US “for family reasons,” was perhaps feeling nostalgic, maybe even a little homesick on National Day.


He wrote in his post that the unapologetically patriotic National Day songs “are one of the things that make us uniquely Singaporean.”

“Many remind us of how far we’ve come, of how much we’ve achieved as a nation. But they also reflect our shared culture and values; values that define who we are, what we believe, where we hope to be. While worded in song, they are also serious expressions of deeply-held meaning.”​

However, he professed to not quite be as much of a fan as the more recent National Day Songs, except for “Home… in no small part because it echoes nostalgia.”

As for this year’s song, “The Road Ahead,” he wrote that unlike those that looked to the past, it looks forward to the future. “It speaks to resilience for the road ahead.”
“So wherever you may be this National Day, may you take a moment to reflect on the things that make Singapore home for you, and to be reminded of all that makes our Tiny Red Dot special. Happy 56th Birthday, Singapore,” wrote Dr Lim.
Commenters on his post echoed his sentiments.
“Count on Me Singapore is one song that has that special feel on me,” wrote one netizen.

Another wrote that being Singaporean “isn’t just a citizenship status, it’s about those who choose to stay, choose to serve, choose to trust, during such adversity and tough times”.

In another post, Dr Lim took the unusual step of giving a shout-out to a t-shirt initiative from Apparels Art because of a shirt that reads “My cockles seek warmth”

The Sengkang MP posted photos of two adorable children in the shirts, writing that he has been “somehow been irrevocably associated with” the word “cockles,” as he had made the expression famous during GE2020, (so famous, or the opposite, that he said he was banned from using the word in Sengkang).

Profits from the sale of the shirt go toward a program for special-needs youth run by YMCA of Singapore, he added.
As for Apparels Art, the company made reference to Dr Lim, writing in a Facebook post, “At last year’s Singapore general election, local MP #jamus https://www.instagram.com/jamuslim/ went viral with his now-famous quote… and is forever associated with a certain shellfish.
Artist Pandemica has given a fun twist to the quote, for anyone with a love of cockles.”

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

18 hrs ·

Sengkang GRC
​

21 hrs ·
Have you ever wondered about how people drown, and why? We live on an island, with plenty of pools around our urban jungle, but we seldom think about how to detect and protect ourselves--and our loved ones--from one of the leading causes of preventable deaths.
Join us for an online talk, organized by the Sengkang Constituency Committee and delivered by drowning expert and founder of Project Silent, Danny Ong, to better understand and educate ourselves on steps we can take to prevent drowning.
Here's the registration link for the talk happening via Zoom on 19 August (Thursday) at 8pm, see you there!
https://go.rivervale.town/skcctalk
Jamus Lim Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威

 

[jw5]

Jamus speaks up for family-friendly KTVs.

Jamus Lim​

10 hrs ·
Growing up in a fairly musical family (“fairly” because, for all her charms, Mom couldn’t always hold a note), we often took up our own instruments to accompany singing. But for countless other households, karaoke brought revelry out of the shower and into the living room. Of course, karaoke lounges also cater to the denizens of Singapore’s nightlife. But singing is one of the higher-risk activities in a post-COVID-19 world; recall the various superspreader incidents, early on, that occurred through churches and choirs. So it made sense, while we knew little of the disease and proper management of its spread, to impose a tight rein on all karaoke operations islandwide. It is guided by the so-called precautionary principle of policymaking.
An unfortunate collateral casualty of this blanket clampdown, however, has been family karaokes, which have seen their businesses curtailed by safe management restrictions. The recent KTV kerfuffle dashed what slender hopes they had of resuming. Hence, while everyone certainly recognIzes that karaokes do entail elevated risks, for various reasons, these risks are more easily managed and regulated in family shops than those oriented toward adult audiences.
Many of us who have sought to further our studies in the United States would be familiar with the SATs: a test for high-school seniors seeking entry into colleges. One of the (in)famous question categories in the SAT involves analogies. For me, the analogy here is clear: as KTV lounges are to discotheques or bars, family-friendly karaokes are to dance studios or restaurants. By all means, regulate the former as a higher-risk business, as one would an indoor gym or restaurant.
This was the motivation behind the question posed by the #workersparty to the Minister of Home Affairs, on whether separate licenses and regulations would apply to the two groups. Minister Shanmugam’s response was that this was under review. Hopefully, there will be additional clarity on the matter soon, and family-oriented karaoke businesses may be able to find some relief, and along with that, offer us an additional outlet for old-fashioned fun, too.
#makingyourvotecount

 

[jw5]

Jamus is visiting his in-laws.

Jamus Lim​

11 hrs ·
Central Pennsylvania, where my in-laws live, is mostly comprised of foothills and valleys. So it was a mild surprise to see this little guy ambling along the trail during our evening walk along a converted railway route—not unlike our own central Rail Corridor—as a family.
The term “mountain tortoise” (or suaku) is sometimes used, disparagingly, to refer to the ill-informed or backward. In reality, they are anything but. The Eastern Box Turtle—which I believe this to be an example—is incredibly resourceful, roaming up to 50 meters a day in search for food. When in danger, they are able to completely retract into the safety of their “box” (hence the name). Apparently, they can even regenerate their shells! Hence, despite its inherent disadvantages, the mountain tortoise is able to not just survive, but thrive, by being hardworking, adaptable, and—when necessary—withdraw to fight another day.

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

23 hrs ·

Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威​

23 hrs · Instagram ·
Special thanks to Danny for taking the time this evening to share with our residents insights into drowning prevention.
Drowning prevention begins with each one of us, and as parents, let us also remind ourselves to put our phones aside, and keep watch over our children keenly when they are swimming or playing in and around water environments.
For more resources on personal water safety, do check out Project Silent
Jamus Lim

 

[jw5]

WP resumes meet the people sessions.

Jamus Lim​

16 hrs ·
The #workersparty resumed in-person meet-the-people sessions this week. This format is generally much better for residents uncomfortable or unaccustomed to virtual meetings of this nature (which we had been performing in the months prior). I was ably covered in my duties by the #SengkangGRC MP for Compassvale, Raeesah Khan, who kindly stepped in while I am still away (but not for much longer; we depart from the States tomorrow). My gratitude to her and, of course, all #TeamSengkang volunteers for keeping the ship afloat! Postscript: for those who prefer meeting with me specifically, team #Anchorvale continues to operate virtual meet-the-people sessions, and will continue to do so until I am out of quarantine. So feel free to reach out to make an appointment, if you so desire.

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

9 hrs ·

Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威​

23 hrs · Instagram ·
While the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has come to an end, the Paralympics is just getting underway with the opening ceremony happening right now, and the games scheduled to kick off tomorrow!
Wishing all our Team Singapore athletes all the best, we are proud of you and will be cheering for you behind the screens!
Special shout out to our #Rivervale resident @maxtanyeah who will be competing in the sport of Equestrian. Go Max and #TeamSengkang is behind you all the way!
Go Team Singapore!

#OneTeamSG

 

[jw5]

WP at the National Day Show.

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

4 hrs ·
https://www.facebook.com/workerspar...sojsvltH08NHwG5UyOm7lupq1Oa1A&__tn__=<<,P-y-R

The Workers' Party
​

8 hrs ·
’

The Workers’ Party welcomes the recent signals from high-ranking government figures on the Government’s openness towards implementing much-needed reforms in key areas of public policy, such as a national minimum wage, redundancy insurance and anti-discrimination laws.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s National Day Rally on 29 August 2021, we would like to repeat the calls previously made by the Workers’ Party, both in our manifesto for General Election 2020 and in our speeches in Parliament over the past decade.
Here are a few of the policy ideas that the Workers’ Party has recently advanced. We believe it is opportune to implement these ideas in light of recent public discussions focusing on these areas of policy.
. -- that provides a living wage for workers, which can comfortably co-exist with the Progressive Wage Model that could allow for higher sector-specific wage floors and productivity-linked wage increments from that universal minimum level.
. to provide pay-outs for those who are involuntarily unemployed. Had such a scheme been introduced before COVID-19, it would have enabled pay-outs that would have cushioned the shock to the economy and the livelihoods of those laid off due to the economic contraction in 2020, and reduced the amounts drawn from national reserves. The Workers’ Party issued a policy paper in 2016 and moved a Parliamentary Adjournment Motion on this subject in 2017.
. in favour of other approaches to managing revenue shortfall, such as easing the rules to allow for a greater Net Investment Returns Contribution—as had been done before—or allowing for a partial contribution from land sales to the Budget, as is already the case for sales of land leases of less than 10 years, which count towards operating revenue for budgetary purposes.
. - that prohibit bias in hiring and firing by ethnicity, gender, and age, which will provide greater clarity to job seekers and deter discrimination in the job market by unscrupulous employers.
. under the HDB, to ensure affordability; introducing a universal sale and lease buyback scheme; and promoting urban renewal by expanding the SERS system. The Workers’ Party has issued a policy paper on this subject in 2019.

 

[mudhatter]

worker's party = pap lite

what are they good for?

 

[goondusamy]

worker's party = pap lite

what are they good for?

of course better than pap itself. why you so goondu one?

 

[ginfreely]

I just realised I can’t find my posts last night. which bastard owner or moderator deleted my spam of Jeremy Quek @glockman posts last night while keeping all these spamming scamming posts by your fellow bastards slandering me a real virgin a fake virgin dirty whore? @nayr69sg? @zhihau? @Leongsam? My guess is @nayr69sg because he is the most free and sneaky manipulative bastard. Shame on you bastards.

 

[jw5]

Jamus discusses social inequality and justice.

Jamus Lim​

9 hrs ·
Last evening, I was deeply honored to join Rahayu Mahzam, Anthea Ong, Walid Jumblatt, and Bilveer Singh on a panel discussing social inequality and justice. The session, organized by the NUS Political Science Society, sought views across the political spectrum on topics such as class divides, gender balance, and racism. I was pleased the share the view from the perspective of the The Workers' Party, and offer suggestions on how these differed from that of the PAP and government. My thanks extend to the behind-the-scenes organizational prowess of Nelle Ng and her team, which resulting in an engaging session that went well beyond the scheduled hour-and-a-half (but what is two hours or more when one is in quarantine?). While the session was conducted under Chatham House rules—so I cannot report on the proceedings—those interested in my opening remarks may read them here: http://www.jamus.name/comment26.html

 

[jw5]

Participants in the discussion.

 

[jw5]

Jamus finds the loss of Yale-NUS regrettable.

Jamus Lim​

8 hrs ·
Last week, Yale-NUS College announced that it would be taking in its final class of students. The college—one of the first liberal arts schools in Asia—is set to close its doors in four years. It marks the end of a bold experiment. I suspect most Singaporeans would be apathetic to this development. While Yale has an easily recognizable brand name, it is, after all, an elite institution, which by definition caters to a very limited few. The idea of the liberal arts is also alien to most Asians. Asian universities tend to focus most on science, technology, and other professional fields that are perceived to contribute most to economic output (and yield jobs for graduates).
The college itself has also, in the past, featured in the news for having a class on dissent (led by local playwright Alfian Sa'at) ignominiously cancelled. Incidents like this led some to believe that the uni was a hotbed for dissident, far-left thinking. So while some may rue the loss of a fancy cobranded school—which raises the country’s profile in seeking to be a global educational hub—I believe that the average Singaporean would not regard Yale-NUS’s closure as a big deal. Que será, será.
I think some of the resistance to a liberal arts education as either useless or inherently left-leaning is misplaced. The liberal arts is as much an approach to scholarly enquiry—premised on a multidisciplinary framework and critical thinking—as it is a curriculum. Undergraduate education at the University of Chicago—one of America’s premier conservative-leaning tertiary institutions—is centered on the liberal arts (albeit with a “Great Books” emphasis). Most liberal arts colleges do not exclusively teach modernist leftist ideas.
The liberal arts mindset has also given rise to amazing innovators. Steve Jobs, famously, had a liberal arts rather than tech background, and the beauty of Apple’s products are a function of his sense of aesthetics and style. I believe it is impossible to wrest such creativity from rigid, technically-oriented training. In my view, the best ideas emerge from the unplanned cross-fertilization of wildly different disciplines, forged through Socratic challenge and critique, rather than forced cohabitation.
Those in charge will probably point to the formation of the interdisciplinary College of Humanities and Sciences as an upgraded replacement. A “new college” will also absorb the erstwhile University Scholars Programme (an “honors track” deal), but it’s unclear if these are the same thing. Anyhow, this argument—that it is possible to successfully engineer genuine interdisciplinarity—is itself premised on a top-down mindset. The liberal arts did not emerge by forced design. It evolved from Greek and Latin philosophies of dialog and debate. Incidentally, this humanism was also pervasive in the Chinese philosophical tradition (during the Hundred Schools period), before it became excessively dominated by Confucianism. And Indian philosophy has long birthed diverse intellectual thought, through robust argumentation.
Small liberal arts colleges (disclosure: I taught in one for a year) can be amazing crucibles for fostering a love for learning. The flat structure and small interactive classes—similar to the British tutorial system, still in practice at Oxbridge—isn’t easily replicable. Of course, as an educator and Singaporean, I very much wish for the new endeavor to succeed. But if I had my druthers, I would have rather seen the two institutions side-by-side. That’s how competition in ideas gets refined and enriched.
So the bottom line is that I find the loss of Yale-NUS regrettable, not only because it represented a tiny beacon of diversity in local education, but also because we now have one less avenue for informed debate (not to mention the poor students having their alma mater wiped out). Given my inherent interest (and the import of this development for local tertiary education), I (and other The Workers' Party colleagues) will be posing a number of questions in the upcoming sitting of Parliament on the matter. Hopefully we will gain more insight on the decisionmaking process behind the closure. #makingyourvotecount
Postscript: after submitting these questions, I had to modify the specific language of some to comply with the requirement that PQs not pose hypotheticals. But the spirit of the questions remain unaltered.

 

[jw5]

 

[jw5]

 

[jw5]

Jamus discusses corporate governance.

Jamus Lim​

28 mins ·
Corporate governance is one of the less-sexy topics within corporate finance and asset management. After all, everyone wants to know about firms’ profitability metrics, new product lines, and growth plans. In contrast, issues such shareholder rights, board independence, and compensation schemes evoke yawns among all but the most nerdy analysts and researchers. What does “governance” really mean for a private corporation anyway?
These matters appear to be best left to insiders, who may know best for how to run the business. But such matters are actually enormously important. There is a sizable literature that links strong corporate governance metrics to outsized returns. Indeed, SGX recently promoted greater disclosure for one particular dimension of corporate governance: remuneration. With rising inequality, and C-suite execs earning many more multiples than the employees they oversee compared to the past, such transparency seems overdue.
But Singapore actually has publicly-owned companies that aren’t publicly traded (wrap your head around that). In particular, our government investment entities are not listed on the stock exchange, and are not obliged to adhere to the same standards. This is despite the fact that they are (directly and indirectly) funded with public monies, and (indirectly) perform a public service. It seems reasonable that GIC and Temasek be paragons of corporate transparency.
The model here is Norway’s Government Pension Fund (GPF). GPF publishes detailed annual reports that include all manner of information about the fund, including the salaries and names of senior management. Such disclosure allows GPF to be accountable, and allows the public to assess whether salaries are commiserate with performance (also published in detail). The report runs more than 160 pages and is chock-full of data (GIC’s is 100+, while Temasek’s is 60+). Such transparency appears to work. The investment fund recently announced that it is increasingly voting against large executive pay packages at companies that it owns, and is own top salaries are not egregious.
In a response to a parliamentary question I posed on expanding remuneration disclosure, Minister Wong responded that the two entities were not subject to the same code of corporate governance, and did not commit to requiring them to do so. Instead, GIC and Temasek are “encouraged” to continually review whether there are more “meaningful disclosures” they can make. It strikes me that the corporate governance code already spells out what these are. #makingyourvotecount
Postscript: You may read the full question and response here: https://www.mof.gov.sg/.../promoting-more-widespread...

 

[jw5]

WP celebrates Teachers' Day.

Jamus Lim​

3 hrs ·

The Workers' Party​

8 hrs ·
A teacher’s influence goes beyond the classroom. We celebrate Teacher’s Day today to honour all our educators, past and present, for the tireless work they do especially during a challenging time like now. Thank you teachers for changing the world, one student at time. Happy Teacher's Day!
#teachersday