Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

[jw5]

Jamus meets 3 families.

Jamus Lim​

14 hrs ·
This week’s house visits allowed #TeamSengkang to complete 338B #Anchorvale. As usual, we had a number of hearty discussions, but what impressed me most was my encounter with three different families, all new in ways that are uniquely Singaporean.
The first was the Gill family, who are new to #SengkangGRC. As their family expanded, they desired more space, and chose to upgrade. Having done the same multiple times during my childhood, I see this as a quintessential Singapore story. They explained that they have been happy the move, and as I welcomed them to the neighborhood, I promised to help with any assistance they required as they settled in.
The second was the Wang family. They had moved into town after becoming new citizens. We are an immigrant nation, and such aspirations—toward a better life—likewise strike me as deeply Singaporean. I have always beloved that we become stronger when we attract talent from the rest of the world, and retain them with a clear path to eventual citizenship, rather than have them remain loosely moored to the nation as permanent residents.
The third we met along the corridor, as they were making their way home. It was a mixed-ethnicity family. Such families—of which my own is among—are increasingly common, and, to my mind, are also very much Singaporean. We are a multiethnic society, and it is natural to see these cross-cultural linkages reflected in our language, our food, and our relationships.

 

[jw5]

Jamus meets a chiobu and her 2 sons.

 

[jw5]

Jamus meets a family on the way home.

 

[jw5]

Jamus is concerned about mosquitoes.

Jamus Lim​

21 mins ·
Rainy conditions mean that it is possible to identify additional potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This is what #TeamSengkang tried to look out for this weekend during our estate walk.
Like areas all over the island, #SengkangGRC has not been spared the recent outbreak of dengue clusters, where, to date, reported cases (around 12,000) are already more than double compared to the whole of last year (the annual record, set in 2020, is still far higher, at more than 35,000 cases).
The Town Council tries to be diligent in minimizing mosquito breeding locations. These include setting traps and regular oiling of potential breeding spots (evidence suggests that oiling is as good as fogging, and better for human health), along with ensuring that horticulture keeps bushes and grassy patches trimmed. SKTC also pays more attention to emergent clusters, and deploys pest control to hotspots to help identify additional sources of breeding.
You can do your part! NEA investigations reveal that the significant majority (60 percent) of cases are found within residential units, as opposed to common areas (24 percent). So we will make a much greater dent on dengue if we check all receptacles in our homes, especially plant pots with hardened soil, and empty vessels left close to water sources (perhaps in the shower or under the sink, or close to windows).

 

[jw5]

Jamus went on a river run.

Jamus Lim​

6 hrs ·
The cloudy, rainy morning had fully passed by the time we met, and so our inaugural #SengkangGRC #RiverRun set off in dry but balmy conditions yesterday evening. Even so, we saw a good number of people exercising on the trail we took along the river. We had a neat mix of serious runners—while I turned with a small group around Northshore Cove, I heard that some others chose to continue on to Punggol Settlement—as well as casual ones, who joined us with their young children. Thanks to all who came down, and for spending a weekend evening working out with us! Till the first Saturday of next month, then. #TeamSengkang

 

[jw5]

Happy runners

 

[jw5]

Discussing their run.

 

[jw5]

Thumbs up.

 

[jw5]

Jamus likes Caribbean arroz con frijoles.

Jamus Lim​

10 hrs ·
I first tasted Caribbean arroz con frijoles (literally, rice with beans) when I was in Haiti, where I had volunteered to help in rebuilding efforts after the earthquake of 2010 (a week before our wedding, a choice that did not endear me to my then-fiancée). We would lug a sack of rice and a bag of beans, along with a jug of water, up to the build site, where a grateful family would prepare our meals as we built their home.
It is an exceedingly simple dish: the main components—other than the two that make up the dish’s name—include water (or stock and coconut milk), garlic, onion, and creole seasoning (I garnished with some extra smoked paprika, thyme, and lime). Yet despite its simplicity, the dish is both nutritious and delicious. As vegetarians know full well, beans are rich in protein. But on certain days, the family might introduce a small piece of chicken atop the rice. Those were precious, and an expression of their deep hospitality (in remembrance, I topped ours with some roasted salmon instead).
Arroz con frijoles is a reminder that we can still thrive on the humble. As a child, my version of this meal was nasi lemak; for others, it may be yong tau foo or moong dal. Regardless, I find it valuable to occasionally step back, and find meaning and pleasure in the simple things in life.

 

[jw5]

Jamus shared his thoughts on The Peak.

Jamus Lim​

43 mins ·
I was recently invited to share my thoughts on The Peak Singapore magazine’s June/July issue, which falls under the theme “Future-Proofed.” Unsurprisingly, my contribution was on the future of education, which is both my profession as well as my passion. As it turns out, passion is also the big takeaway from my piece, which argues that a future-proofed education should move away from paper qualifications, toward verifiable skills and dense experience, coupled with an openness to diverse job scopes and a true love for one’s craft. The full op-ed is here:

 

[jw5]

Residents shared their thoughts with Jamus.

Jamus Lim​

3 hrs ·
On Thursday night, #TeamSengkang was able to cover around half of 326A #Anchorvale. Many residents shared their thoughts, on issues ranging from estate maintenance concerns, problems of retirement, to escalating prices of daily necessities, to the challenges they face in the job market.
The combination of the final two issues can turn out to be an especially pernicious double whammy. One resident shared about her concerns with how she felt like foreigners were able to secure all the higher-paying jobs in her company, while Singaporeans scrambled below. This then becomes a real bitter pill when salaries don’t seem to be keeping up with the cost of living, as has typically been the case so far this year. The #workersparty will continue to speak up on these bread-and-butter issues that matter to Singaporeans. #SengkangGRC

 

[jw5]

Jamus poses with a father and his daughter.

 

[jw5]

Jamus asks for permission to speak to resident.

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

5 hrs ·

Sengkang GRC
​

11 hrs ·
The next Sengkang Town Hall will be happening on 19 June 2022 (Sunday), 2pm to 4pm, at the MPH at Blk 266D Compassvale Bow. For this event, the MPs will be sharing more on the Budget 2022, as well as addressing questions residents may have from the Budget. See you then, and do come with your questions!
Do follow the QR code link in the poster or go to https://rebrand.ly/SKConv to register for the event.

 

[jw5]

Jamus wishes all fathers Happy Fathers' Day.

Jamus Lim​

10 hrs ·
I belatedly discovered that there was a special occasion today when my wife dressed our little one up in “daddy clothes” and paraded her out with “daddy toys.” Being a father has been one of the most precious, meaningful, and rewarding things in my life (as well as tiring, frustrating, and occasionally discouraging ones, but life contains multitudes). For this, I will forever be grateful to both my wife and, of course, my daughter. And to all fathers out there: happy Father’s Day.

 

[jw5]

Jamus continues his estate walks.

Jamus Lim​

14 hrs ·
This week’s #TeamSengkang estate walk took us back to one of the OG clusters, #Anchorvale Court, where I had received some feedback on shortcomings in maintenance standards. We generally do not announce our estate walks in advance to the #SengkangGRC town council, which helps us obtain a candid picture of the actual situation on the ground. While we did observe the cleaners around and going about their daily routine, there were indeed a number minor lapses, which we will be following up with the property team. It didn’t help that some issues—like floor checks and patchy paint—could leave the impression that conditions were deteriorating (even if cleanliness was decent). Thankfully, the cluster is scheduled for its cyclical repairs and redecoration (R&R) works this year, and this should significantly spruce up the estate.
We concluded our walk with a visit to the 303 coffeeshop. The feedback there were also mainly related to the immediate environment. While some of these aspects do indeed fall under the charge of town council, some do not. Still, residents do not know (nor should they care) about purviews and jurisdictions, so we will nevertheless follow up with the relevant bodies and agencies to ensure that their feedback is ultimately acted on, and resolved, as much as possible.

 

[jw5]

Jamus talks to uncle.

 

[jw5]

Jamus talks to little girl.

 

[jw5]

Jamus participated in the Sengkang Conversation.

Jamus Lim​

57 mins ·
This past Sunday, we conducted our second #SengkangConversations forum, this time in the #Buangkok division of #SengkangGRC. This was our first live event, following our inaugural session, which we held online. Our goal—as with all editions within the series—is to promote dialog and foster sharing on important municipal and national policy issues of the day. The topic this round was on the #Budget2022, especially the #workersparty opposition to the increase in GST.
At the time of the debate, we had asked the government if they were confident that their decision on a stepped increase—of one percent first at the end of this year, before another percent the following year—would change if economic conditions (principally inflation) were to deteriorate. The response was that they remained open to developments in the local and global economy. We believe that these developments have, if anything, reinforced the case for not just a further postponement, but a reconsideration of the wisdom of the increase, as opposed to raising revenue via a tax hike focused on consumers. A brief report of the event is here: https://www.straitstimes.com/.../rising-costs-of-living...

 

[jw5]

Louis addressing the audience.