Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

[jw5]

Jamus thanks friends and family for food.

Jamus Lim​

9 hrs ·
For our community work, we often deliver food to residents in need. Over the past week or so, I’ve been fortunate to have been the recipient of others’ generosity. In addition to food injections from friends and family, #TeamSengkang teammates He Ting Ru 何廷儒 and Raeesah Khan kindly sent some sushi and hummus for us to enjoy (as if the hotel isn’t already overfeeding us, but that’s another story). It is a reminder that at some point, we all benefit from the beneficence of others, and that’s why we should always exercise our own faculties of charity and grace (literally and figuratively). My heartfelt thanks to them, and all I can say is… Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威, no pressure.

 

[jw5]

Jamus happy about sushi.

 

[jw5]

Jamus thanks his team mates.

Jamus Lim​

9 hrs ·
Our post-travel quarantine is winding down, and last night’s meet-the-people session was the last (insha’allah) where I would need cover for my duties. I am thankful for all the support I’ve received from #TeamSengkang in helping steer the ship during my absence, and last night, from #TeamHougang too! #workersparty ex-MP PNG ENG HUAT kindly offered to step in, and I’m certain residents who swung by #Anchorvale last night benefited from his deep well of experience. #SengkangGRC

 

[jw5]

from mustsharenews.com:

Jamus Lim Currently Serving SHN With Family, Says Daughter Is Having A Blast​

His fellow Sengkang MPs have covered for him for the time being.

Jamus Lim Is Halfway Through His SHN At Hotel In Orchard​

Covid-19 affects everybody, whether you’re rich or poor, an ordinary citizen or a Member of Parliament (MP).

While none of our MPs that we know of have caught the virus, like the rest of us, they’re not excused from being affected in one way or another.


We were reminded of that when Sengkang MP Jamus Lim revealed that he and his family were on Stay-Home Notice (SHN).

While he and his wife are longing to go home, his daughter is “having a blast”, he said.

Jamus Lim on 14-day quarantine​

In a Facebook post on Thursday (2 Sep), Dr Lim revealed that it was already Day 8 of his 14-day quarantine.

Thus, he’s already crossed the halfway mark, and is now feeling better.

That also means he started his SHN on 26 Aug.

Daughter having a blast in SHN​

While Dr Lim and his wife are looking forward to returning home, his daughter is just fine.

In fact, she’s having a blast, he said.

That’s because she now has both her parents with her 100% of the time, plus the iPad for additional company.

It’s great that at he can have some bonding time with his beloved daughter, despite having to be ruled by her body clock – we’re sure he won’t forget this time.

Though Dr Lim didn’t reveal the name of his quarantine hotel, he did share a photo of himself with a view of Orchard Road behind him.

The twin towers of Ngee Ann City (better known by the name of anchor tenant Takashimaya) can be seen on his right.

From the photo, a netizen guessed that he’s serving SHN at the Marriott Tang Plaza.

Source

However, he didn’t receive any confirmation from Dr Lim.

Jamus compares hotel to Alcatraz​

Curiously, the Workers’ Party MP compared his Orchard Road location to Alcatraz.


How so? Well, as typical of his erudite writing style, Dr Lim said just like Alcatraz, the sights of the city can be seen but are beyond reach.

As such, they’re just a “cruel reminder” to the inhabitants of his “jail”.

In response, a netizen pointed out that his hotel is more comfortable than Alcatraz, to which he responded that he didn’t commit a crime either – he just travelled out of the country.

Source

Jamus went to US for family reasons​

Those following Dr Lim’s social media may know that he went to the United States (US) with his family.

In a Facebook post on 5 Aug, he shared that he was travelling for unspecified family reasons, as his wife’s family lives there.

Source

However, though Anchorvale residents might not see a sweat-soaked man walking around for a few weeks, they’ll still be well looked after.

He’ll still attend Meet-The-People sessions (MTS) virtually, he said.

However, his fellow Sengkang MPs like Ms Raeesah Khan have also offered to cover for him during in-person MTS.

MP He Ting Ru has also covered house visits for him.

He expects to be back on the ground on 10 Sep, after he finishes his SHN.

Wishing them good health & sanity​

Most netizens wished for him to take care and rest well, showing how well-liked he is.

However, we’re sure there’s nothing Dr Lim will want more than to hang out with his constituents again.

As there should still be about 5 days left to his SHN, we wish him and his family good health so they can be free soon.

And for the parents, we wish them sanity for the rest of their time with their child.

 

[jw5]

Jamus discusses primary school registration.

Jamus Lim​

23 hrs ·
For many Singaporean parents, one of the more stressful events is placing their child in a preferred primary school. What that preference is differs for each family; for some, it is their alma mater; for others, a school offering certain academic options; for yet others, one near their home. It strikes me that securing a place close to home is a reasonably modest expectation. This is not guaranteed if the school is especially popular, of course (and parents understand that); but getting into a walking-distance neighborhood school seems eminently fair.
Alas, in certain neighborhoods—especially #Anchorvale in #SengkangGRC, where I serve—the preponderance of families with young children has meant that many residents have been unable to place their kids in schools close to home. This is not only extremely frustrating (in some cases, the school is literally across the road), but can impose a significant burden on working parents, who have to drop their kids off at a school much further away.
Earlier this year, I asked in Parliament whether there would be revisions to the distance-based criterion for primary schools, given repeated oversubscription in some estates during Phase 2C (I had #SengkangGRC in mind, of course). The Ministry’s response then was that the registration framework undergoes occasional review, and that my suggestion—and those of others—would be kept in mind at such a time. Their full response is here: https://bit.Iy/3A5bd8t
As it turns out, in the following March’s budget debates, Minister Wong announced that the spaces under Phase 2C would be reviewed, and last week, @Moe announced that spaces under the phase would double in 2022. I’m delighted with this development, not least because it will make a real difference to many residents in #Anchorvale, which is currently home to 3 primary schools, and lots of young parents. #makingyourvotecount

 

[jw5]

Jamus is concerned that debate is not what you catch the fish with.

Jamus Lim​

27 mins ·
The term “debate” often evokes images of raucous speeches and lively verbal jousting. Alas, parliamentary debates (in this country at least) are often heavily structured, guarded affairs. For instance, to make a point, one has to be recognized by the Speaker. This preserves order and decorum, but it comes at the cost of stifling dynamic riposte, especially for a heated topic. Time constraints exacerbate the problem (Parliament has more issues to discuss than time allows). This was the case yesterday, when a few #workersparty MPs (myself included) were unable to raise supplementary questions before the end of question time. So I’m afraid the debate over the future of Yale-NUS College (YNC) turned out to be something of a damp squib (at least for me). Education Minister Chan spent a good part of his time explaining the motivation behind the merger of YNC.
But the explanations left a wide open question: Why must the merger require such a major restructuring and rebranding, instead of building on existing synergies (most corporate mergers do not dismantle both constituent entities)? The approach also squanders the hard-won reputational capital built by YNC and the University Scholars’ Program (USP). Companies routinely spend millions to acquire intangible capital (this premium is known as “goodwill”). USP is already NUS, so a combined YNC entity (perhaps with some modification) would not be a misnomer. While NUS doesn’t “need” Yale co-branding, YNC acquired its own enviable reputation (so much so that Yale has indicated publicly its willingness to prolong the partnership). Such institutional restructuring upends real commitments (what happens to endowments collected under the auspices of YNC?). It is also corrosive of Brand Singapore, if we are viewed as an unreliable partner (is Duke-NUS thinking twice?)
Some of the justifications were also puzzling. Minister Chan repeatedly spoke of economies of scale as a motivation for the new college. But scaling up is the antithesis of liberal arts experience, of small classes and deeply personalized curriculum. Moreover, it would appear that such economies aren’t really necessary for financial sustainability. One alternative is to raise tuition or reduce subsidies, especially for non-locals; this is a common model for public universities worldwide. Incidentally, while YNC endowments fall short of that of Williams, Amherst, and Swarthmore (the very top colleges), it is of a similar order to that of Haverford, Bates, and Harvey Mudd (still top-20 schools). Financing really does seem resolvable.
While the debate on Yale-NUS has passed with unanswered questions, I hope we will continue to see the importance of consultative decisionmaking, not just in higher ed policy, but all public policy. #makingyourvotecount

 

[jw5]

from mothership.sg:

'Our vaccination programme has not been slow at all': Janil Puthucheary tussles with WP's Jamus Lim​

In Parliament on Tuesday (Sep. 14), Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary responded to parliamentary questions from various Members of Parliament (MPs) on Singapore's Covid-19 situation, vaccination programme, and transition plans.

Two questions by Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim about the speed of Singapore's vaccine rollout resulted in a back-and-forth exchange.

Singapore's vaccination programme "has not been slow at all": Janil​

Lim asked why there were delays in the first receipt of Covid-19 vaccine shipments in December 2020, given that Singapore had committed to advanced purchase agreements as early as June 2020.

He also asked about the constraints that prevented a more rapid vaccine rollout rate, at least until April 2021.

In response, Janil said that Singapore's vaccination programme "has not been slow at all":

"We were one of the earliest countries to secure vaccine supplies, with the first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arriving in mid-December 2020, one of the fastest to roll out a comprehensive vaccination programme, and we have now achieved a vaccination coverage that is one of the highest in the world."

As of Sep. 9, he stated, 81 per cent of Singapore's population have been fully vaccinated, while 85 per cent have received at least one dose.

Jamus: Why wasn't rollout faster in first three months?​

In a supplementary question, Lim said that he "continue to disagree with the characterisation that our rate of vaccination rollout was, in fact, as rapid as could be".

Lim acknowledged that Singapore's vaccination rate today is among the highest in the world, and that there was an acceleration in the rollout rate around end-March and early-April of this year.

However, he asked for further clarification about the specific three month gap when the rollout rate was low, from January to April of this year, between the time when Singapore received its first shipments and when the rollout rate accelerated, even though Singapore had already negotiated advance purchase agreements.

"Given this fact that we had already negotiated these advance agreements, it's puzzling why we were not able to accelerate this rollout in the first three months of this year."

Janil: The member is free to disagree​

Janil said, "The member is quite free to disagree with me."

The doses were indeed delivered to Singapore as part of the advance purchase agreement, but that the manufacturers were "under some strain to produce as much as they can, not just for us but for the whole world".

He added that the country's pace at the beginning of the vaccine rollout was "constrained by the supply that was made available to us from the manufacturers", something he said has been "explained several times".

Still, Janil said that he felt that Singapore's contractual agreements were honoured.

"But I thank [Jamus] for agreeing that now we have indeed done relatively well compared to perhaps what the situation looked like in March. And ultimately it's that destination which is of importance and will protect us."

Not reversing course, nor charging ahead​

In his response to other MPs, Janil reiterated what has already been announced by the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) previously.

While the country has met the vaccination target of 80 per cent, the government has decided to "pause" the transition plan previously laid out due to the rising number of cases. This is because other than vaccination rates, the government must also consider metrics like case numbers and transmission trajectory.

"We are not reversing course, and neither are we charging ahead," he said, echoing a similar statement made by Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung in an MTF press conference on Sep. 10.

Importance of vaccination​

Janil also emphasised the importance of vaccination to open up social and economic activities safely, and re-outlined the plans for Singapore's booster programme for the elderly and immunocompromised.

Elderly individuals aged 60 years and above will be able to receive a Covid-19 booster shot six to nine months after their second dose. Immunocompromised individuals will receive their third dose two months after their second one.

He said that the Expert Committee on Covid-19 vaccination will continue to observe global and local data — the risk of adverse reactions in particular — before recommending booster vaccines to additional population groups.

Janil added the reminder that pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised by experts to take the Covid-19 vaccination, as they will benefit from its protection.

Four vaccination centres will close, others to scale down​

In light of 81 per cent of people in Singapore being fully vaccinated, four vaccination centres will be closed on Sep. 30, and others may be scaled down. However, the number of Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) which offer vaccinations will be increased, from 79 currently to around 100 by end-October.

Those who are unable to go to a centre or visit a PHPC will be visited by MOH's mobile vaccination teams.

The Committee is also "actively studying a heterologous strategy" involving non-mRNA vaccines.

Janil added that Singapore is negotiating with suppliers for non-mRNA booster shot, and a few are preparing applications.

 

[jw5]

Jamus spoke in Parliament about jobs and foreign talents.

The Workers' Party​

13 hrs ·
In his speech on the Jobs and Foreign Talent motions, Jamus Lim argued against the blanket claim that the precarity felt by our workers is entirely disconnected from trade. He stressed that free trade has distributional implications, explained how trade agreements can fall short, and flagged elements of CECA and free trade agreements that could be potentially troubling from a labor market perspective. (14 September 2021)
Video credits: Mediacorp

 

[jw5]

from msn.com:

Jamus Lim calls for freedom of information​

Singapore — During the lengthy jobs and foreign talent policy debate in Parliament on Tuesday (Sept 14), the Workers’ Party asked for greater transparency from the government on data concerning jobs, specifically regarding foreign workers.

This would allow a much better and more informed public debate, according to Workers’ Party head and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh.

This was echoed by fellow WP MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), who called on the government “to institute a freedom of information initiative that will guarantee the full release of accurate and complete trade, production, and labor market data, insofar as they pertain to the study of our FTAs.”​

In Assoc Prof Lim’s speech, which can be found in full here, the Sengkang MP said that Freedom of information is “a routine practice in countries worldwide, from advanced economies like Australia, the European Union, and the United States, to developing nations as diverse as Brazil, Moldova, and Sri Lanka.”

He added that the availability of information, “albeit suitably anonymised if necessary,” would allow “researchers and interested members of the public to come to their own conclusions,” as well as serve to correct the wrong perceptions “that this government has routinely railed against.”

“If we truly believe that FTAs have been good for our country, we have nothing to fear in releasing these data for further study and scrutiny,” he added.

© The Independent Singapore

According to UNESCO, “Freedom of Information (FOI), or the right to information, can be defined as the right to access information held by public bodies. It is an integral part of the fundamental right of freedom of expression.”​

Mr Singh acknowledged that asking the government for greater transparency calls for “a change of culture.”

He added that the government should have done this years ago, long before CECA “entered the public lexicon in the way it has done in the past months.”

The WP leader added that the government’s ‘“reactive” approach of releasing data when it suits the authorities, instead of a proactive one that suits the public, would no longer hold water.

The desire to interrogate facts will only increase, he said, adding that the government must take some responsibility for the “groundswell” of misinformation about CECA.

 

[jw5]

Jamus is concerned about private tuition.

Jamus Lim​

11 hrs ·
China recently made a bold move to eliminate profits for organizations that provide private tuition. Understandably, this has shaken Chinese stock markets, and wiped out around $1 trillion in a week, the last I looked. The industry is massive—estimated at $100 billion—and has been an attractive investment for offshore investors trying to evade restrictions on foreign ownership of Chinese firms (for the geeks among us, this was through vehicles known as variable interest entities).
From a certain perspective, this is about Chinese regulators asserting their dominance, and exercising greater control over private sector firms that possess an outsized ability to influence the socioeconomy, due to their access to large troves of personal data. From another angle, however, this could be construed as a positive policy move to rein in profiteering from education, which has many elements of a public good. So what happens when we eliminate the profit motive from private education?
Some would argue that quality must inevitably fall. While I’m sympathetic to that claim, almost all prestigious universities worldwide (household names everyone has heard of) are nonprofits, while many for-profit institutions are often derided as exploitative degree mills. Still, let’s not kid ourselves; at the margin, we will likely see some decline in quality. The question is: will this decline matter? Certainly, if we are trying to eke out every last ounce of performance from the most energy-intensive organ in our body (a.k.a. the brain), then yes, this loss could be consequential.
But let’s also ask ourselves: how much academic attainment is actually necessary for our subsequent job performance, and how much is just a very costly sorting mechanism? Some folks like myself—with a career in academia—do use our grad school notes and refer back to old textbooks on occasion. But many (perhaps most) of us don’t; my best friend held a notes-burning ceremony after we graduated from the PhD, and he steadfastly refused to purchase textbooks while we were going through our coursework (incidentally, he’s doing just fine, thank you very much, and actually lectures part-time at a university while running his educational testing company).
Many of us who have spent time in the working world also recognize that a large array of soft skills—effective communication, teamwork and people management, marketing and sales, negotiation and conflict resolution—are neither taught nor learned in almost all classrooms. Moreover, even the set of hard skills necessary are often learned on-the-job (a close friend of mine who became a successful banker first broke into the industry as an architect, but was hired because “all the stuff he would need to know would be taught to him anyways”).
This insight isn’t all that novel. Economists like Bryan Caplan have made this argument—that schooling is just a very costly way to separate the talented from the less—for years (the strategy is known as “signaling” quality). And anyone who has gone through both a top-ranked school and one several notches down will attest that the quality of education delivered is largely similar in most decent institutions. Brand names just don’t matter as much as people think. (If you’re wondering why we often observe successful people also graduate from such schools, its largely due to “selection”; people who would otherwise succeed end up choosing these schools since, well, they can get in).
So it makes sense for us to ask whether China’s bold move to ban for-profit tuition is really a reckless one—collateral damage resulting from an effort to consolidate centralized control—or a brilliant move that cuts away race-to-the-bottom behavior. It would be interesting, I think, for the government to share their thinking on the matter. Has it considered limiting the for-profit motive for tuition in Singapore? Would the majority of Singaporeans welcome this move, because they see that excess tuition is a self-defeating zero-sum game?
I posed a number of questions on tuition to the government for Parliament in September. The government’s response was that they share the concern about excessive tuition, but see the phenomenon as inevitable; so no forthcoming policy here. #makingyourvotecount
Postscript: You can read the full response here: https://bit.Iy/2YW6ZSJ as well as a response to related questions posed by another MP, Yip Hon Weng: https://bit.Iy/3zjWMff

 

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from msn.com:

Parliament: PAP and PSP motions on jobs, foreign talents rejected by WP​

Singapore — In Parliament on Tuesday (Sept 14), a ten-hour debate waged regarding jobs, policies on foreign workers, and Free Trade Agreements that ended after midnight.

During the course of the lengthy debate, various voices were heard from the three political parties in Parliament, the People’s Action Party, the Progress Singapore Party, as well as the Workers’ Party, helmed by Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, who called for greater transparency from the government with regards to data concerning foreign workers.

At the end of the session, the Workers’ Party Members of Parliament voted against the motions that had been filed by Finance Minister Lawrence Wong and PSP Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai.

The WP posted a photo of nine MPs on the steps of Parliament after the debate, with the following caption:

“A big shout out from the Workers’ Party MPs at Parliament at 1230am today, after a long session debating today’s jobs, FTAs and foreign talent motions!

WP MPs voted against both the PAP and PSP motions because the amendments we proposed in Parliament to both motions on better information disclosure to improve employment policies could not be carried.

However we were glad to have contributed to this important debate. Five WP MPs spoke, putting forth our ideas on FTAs, foreign talent and jobs for Singaporeans.”

Here is the motion that Mr Wong had tabled on Sept 8:

SECURING SINGAPOREANS’ JOBS AND LIVELIHOODS: That this House:

(a) acknowledges Singaporeans’ anxieties about jobs and competition in a globalized and fast-changing economy;

(b) affirms Singapore’s needs to stay open and connected to the world in order to grow and prosper;

(c) supports Government actions to manage the population of foreign manpower, ensure fair treatment by employers, and invest in education and upskilling, to create more good jobs for Singaporeans;

(d) calls on the Government to continue to update and improve its policies to secure the well-being and livelihoods of Singaporeans in an uncertain post-pandemic world; and

(e) deplores attempts to spread misinformation about free trade agreements like the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), stir up racism and xenophobia, and cause fear and anxiety amongst Singaporeans.

The Leader of the Opposition had proposed an addition to the motion, which is as follows:

(f) calls on the Government to proactively release information on jobs and employment prospects of Singaporeans and the costs and benefits of free trade agreements and foreign worker policies, with a view to formulating better policies to ensure Singaporeans secure good jobs in Singapore and are not disadvantaged when seeking employment.​

Additionally, he proposed an amendment to part (c) of Mr Wong’s motion so that it would read: “Calls for stronger Government actions to manage the population of foreign manpower, ensure fair treatment by employers, and invest in education and upskilling, to create more good jobs for Singaporeans.”

The Workers’ Party leader made clear the party’s stand on Free Trade Agreements in general, and the controversial Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), in particular.

He said the WP accepts that genuine economic concerns exist, but added that the party “abhors and condemns the racism and xenophobia that have become part of the public narrative,” both online and in everyday situations.

And even without the PSP focusing on these concerns, the issue is still there, he added, noting that job displacement is a legitimate concern, with Singaporeans finding themselves replaced by foreigners at work.

 

[jw5]

Jamus discusses education policy.

Jamus Lim​

3 hrs ·
Last Saturday, I was pleased to join Willy Tan (SG100 Foundation) and Jenny Ang (Ecole Hoteliere De Lausanne) on a panel discussing the future of education and education policy in Singapore. The session, superbly moderated by Eugene Seah, touched on both public efforts to enhance education, as well as private initiatives (and individual effort!) that can bring Singaporeans to the next level of educational attainment. One important takeaway from the wide-ranging discussion was how conceptualizing education in the 21st century required going beyond certifications and degrees, and instead required a sense of a passionate, lifelong pursuit of learning and knowledge, and recognizing the importance of skills beyond the academic, to encompass artistry as well as societal purpose. Thanks to the organizers for putting the session together, and for participants for an engaging dialog!

 

[jw5]

Jamus in deep thought.

 

[jw5]

Panel participants together.

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

19 hrs ·

Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威​

21 hrs · Instagram ·
The Mid-autumn Festival is just around the corner, a festival which is often characterised by lanterns, the gifting of mooncakes to family and friends and joyous reunions under the moonlight. Together with @jamuslim and our volunteers, we distributed #MidAutumnBlessings goodie bags to our residents earlier today, and we hope the mooncakes managed to bring a little festive cheer to our residents!
Grateful to Delane and the team at the Character & Leadership Academy by FutuReady Asia Singapore for keeping our Sengkang residents in mind for the distribution, and for making this possible!

 

[jw5]

Jamus suggests unmasking outdoors.

Jamus Lim​

12 hrs ·
One of the activities I’ll miss most as from our time in the U.S. is our walks at a nearby park. In addition to the rolling hills, cool morning air, and family time, is the freedom to keep our masks off while outdoors. Masks have been a controversial public policy in Singapore. We started with a position that masks were unnecessary, then belatedly went on a strict mask mandate. Violators have faced persecution and deportation (along with public consternation). Excess caution was probably warranted in the earlier part of the COVID-19 pandemic, given our state of knowledge at the time. But two years on, our understanding of the disease has evolved significantly.

One development has been the far lower transmission rates of COVID-19 outdoors, as opposed to indoors. Indeed, a cross-country study has only one recorded time (in Singapore, no less) where the indoor setting has been linked to cluster formation (http://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15889.2). There is now some emerging evidence that outdoor transmission is also possible with the delta variant. But then again, it seems like masks alone are insufficient to fully inhibit delta’s spread, as shown by our now-infamous market vegetable study.
In my view, this makes a strong behavioral case for relaxing the mask mandate outdoors. In an ideal world, folks would keep masks on all the time, of course, except perhaps when in the presence of those living in the same household. But in reality, keeping the mask on constantly is stifling, and all the more so in our hot and humid climate. This is especially so for those who work outdoors (like cleaners and gardeners), who don’t have the “exercising” excuse to unmask. Not only that, it often leads to people ripping their masks off once indoors, to obtain some relief. I’m sure we all know of coworkers who unmask, especially in smaller meeting rooms and offices. There are clear signs of mask fatigue. But this is precisely the wrong way round. If we had to choose between indoor and outdoor masking, the former is clearly preferred, because risks of infection indoors are much higher. We aren’t machines, and public health policy should ultimately be sustainable.

Make no mistake: masks are an important tool in our fight against COVID-19, and evidence has shown—the latest being a convincing randomized controlled trial of mask usage in Bangladesh (https://bit.Iy/3tuAG8M)—that they work in containing spread. But my view is that we should move toward relaxing our outdoor masking rules (except perhaps where there is still close interpersonal contact, like in markets and other crowded spaces), but insist on strict adherence indoors. More generally, we can evolve our COVID-19 policy to pay more attention to indoor air quality, especially when we treat the disease as endemic. This requires effort and resources, and we should move toward this focus (https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg2025). I recently posed a Parliamentary Question along these lines. The response was that masking at all times remains necessary, and will be one of the last stipulations to go. Hopefully we will keep revisiting our stances, informed by the latest science. #makingyourvotecount

 

[jw5]

Jamus wishes everyone 中秋节快乐.

Jamus Lim​

22 hrs ·
Every family has to build their own habits and traditions, around which memories form. Our efforts to share those with our daughter include exposing her to practices from her various cultural heritage. Tonight, for the Mid-Autumn Festival, this meant walking around with a lantern—albeit one with a battery-operated candle, unlike those I grew up with that routinely caught fire—and taking a nibble of mooncake. To those who celebrate, may your family cherish the moments that go into making these memories. 中秋节快乐。