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Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?
- Thread starter batman1
- Start date
Jamus handed out bursary awards. 
Over the past weekend, I was blessed to be able to join Rev Dr Niam, as we handed out bursary awards to highly-deserving young students residing in #SengkangGRC, congratulating them on their educational achievements.
As many folks know, opposition MPs are not invited to Edusave award ceremonies. In past years (and this one), I’ve offered to write letters of encouragement in lieu of handing over the award, to children of residents who would like to receive them. But I was als…
See more
Jamus Lim
6 d ·Over the past weekend, I was blessed to be able to join Rev Dr Niam, as we handed out bursary awards to highly-deserving young students residing in #SengkangGRC, congratulating them on their educational achievements.
As many folks know, opposition MPs are not invited to Edusave award ceremonies. In past years (and this one), I’ve offered to write letters of encouragement in lieu of handing over the award, to children of residents who would like to receive them. But I was als…
See more
Jamus is concerned about tests. 
A few years ago, my wife had to take the basic theory test, to convert her American driver’s license to a local one. She had to put in some hours studying for it, but not being as accustomed to test-taking as we tend to be here, it stressed her out. For most Singaporeans, basic theory is one of the least consequential tests we will take in our lives (compare that to the PSLE, the N/O/A-levels, or various professional license exams). And by the time we take it, we would be pretty familiar with high-stakes testing.
Even so, some people (like my wife) still find tests immensely stressful. And this anxiety affects their performance, and so—for folks like these—tests become poor gauges of ability. Furthermore, while some of us clearly need tests to motivate us to study (I enrolled for a master’s in history because I felt I needed the discipline to convert my casual interest in the subject to something more serious), others are demotivated when they think about exams.
In recognition of the weak power of testing in estimating ability, some universities—including many brand-name ones—even dropped entrance tests for entry during the pandemic. Modern firms like Google don’t even require a degree anymore, and many downplay grades. I think modern education should be teaching students how to filter information and analyze data. These skills aren’t well captured by tests, which tend to privilege memorization and replication (indeed, these days, I only give open-book exams in my courses).
One way to deemphasize testing is to allow our kids—at least, those whose parents so choose—to bypass high-stakes testing, especially at an age where their minds and personalities may still be insufficiently developed to cope with such pressure. Hence, a 10-year through-train option, where certain schools would offer the opportunity to go on directly to secondary school, without the need to take the PSLE. Their first high-stakes test will then be the “O”-level.
The concept of a through-train isn’t actually unique in the local context. We already have one, where students in certain schools skip the “O”-levels when they’re 16. But are those who are 12 or 16 better equipped to handle a major exam? We also have direct school admissions (DSAs), where students with certain talents—in sport, leadership, art, science, or various other areas—may likewise secure a secondary school place before the PSLE (the DSA is akin to a low-stakes through-train, since admission is based on continual assessment, and only qualification—not grades—are required. The difference is that we limit these opportunities to just predefined “talented” students, instead of opening it up to all).
It’s important to stress that bypassing a high-stakes test does not mean bypassing student monitoring. In fact, research shows that adopting continual feedback mechanisms—like specialized tutoring or increased instructional time—makes schools more effective. The key is to make teacher-student relationships an interactive dialog. I know my best learning experiences were always with teachers who cared about whether I got something, rather than just being able to cough up the correct answer. Those who are interested in the actual speech (as delivered) can catch it here: https://fb.watch/j7yQ-Td-_J/?mibextid=qC1gEa
#makingyourvotecount (3/3)
Jamus Lim
5 d ·A few years ago, my wife had to take the basic theory test, to convert her American driver’s license to a local one. She had to put in some hours studying for it, but not being as accustomed to test-taking as we tend to be here, it stressed her out. For most Singaporeans, basic theory is one of the least consequential tests we will take in our lives (compare that to the PSLE, the N/O/A-levels, or various professional license exams). And by the time we take it, we would be pretty familiar with high-stakes testing.
Even so, some people (like my wife) still find tests immensely stressful. And this anxiety affects their performance, and so—for folks like these—tests become poor gauges of ability. Furthermore, while some of us clearly need tests to motivate us to study (I enrolled for a master’s in history because I felt I needed the discipline to convert my casual interest in the subject to something more serious), others are demotivated when they think about exams.
In recognition of the weak power of testing in estimating ability, some universities—including many brand-name ones—even dropped entrance tests for entry during the pandemic. Modern firms like Google don’t even require a degree anymore, and many downplay grades. I think modern education should be teaching students how to filter information and analyze data. These skills aren’t well captured by tests, which tend to privilege memorization and replication (indeed, these days, I only give open-book exams in my courses).
One way to deemphasize testing is to allow our kids—at least, those whose parents so choose—to bypass high-stakes testing, especially at an age where their minds and personalities may still be insufficiently developed to cope with such pressure. Hence, a 10-year through-train option, where certain schools would offer the opportunity to go on directly to secondary school, without the need to take the PSLE. Their first high-stakes test will then be the “O”-level.
The concept of a through-train isn’t actually unique in the local context. We already have one, where students in certain schools skip the “O”-levels when they’re 16. But are those who are 12 or 16 better equipped to handle a major exam? We also have direct school admissions (DSAs), where students with certain talents—in sport, leadership, art, science, or various other areas—may likewise secure a secondary school place before the PSLE (the DSA is akin to a low-stakes through-train, since admission is based on continual assessment, and only qualification—not grades—are required. The difference is that we limit these opportunities to just predefined “talented” students, instead of opening it up to all).
It’s important to stress that bypassing a high-stakes test does not mean bypassing student monitoring. In fact, research shows that adopting continual feedback mechanisms—like specialized tutoring or increased instructional time—makes schools more effective. The key is to make teacher-student relationships an interactive dialog. I know my best learning experiences were always with teachers who cared about whether I got something, rather than just being able to cough up the correct answer. Those who are interested in the actual speech (as delivered) can catch it here: https://fb.watch/j7yQ-Td-_J/?mibextid=qC1gEa
#makingyourvotecount (3/3)
Jamus Lim
1 d ·
Sengkang GRC
1 d ·Calling all Sengkang residents! Join us for a town hall session this coming Saturday and have your voice heard on important issues affecting our community. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts and enjoy some refreshments with your neighbours. No RSVP is required and we hope to see you there!
Jamus Lim
2 d ·
The Workers' Party Youth Wing (WPYW)
2 d ·Join Gerald Giam 严燕松 & Jamus Lim in our Post-Budget 2023 Townhall on 25 March 2023 to share your views!
Sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfbZmuYQtONCh.../viewform
Jamus went to Cameron Highlands. 
This weekend, I followed a group of #SengkangGRC residents to Cameron Highlands, for our annual Malaysia trip. Due to traffic—it was double trouble, being both the weekend and the first day of school holidays (both in Singapore as well as Malaysia, apparently)—our journey up took much longer than we would have liked. On the bright side, we did catch a beautiful rainbow along the way up, offset by storm clouds.
Malaysia is a study in contrasts. Travelers from Singapore are often frustrated by the relative inefficiency of the customs checkpoints, or shocked if they are asked for a bribe by a police officer. These are reminders of the quality of our bureaucratic service and general incorruptibility of our public officers, something we can be grateful for.
But the careful observer will also recognize that many things we take pride in aren’t sui generis. Public housing flats in their major cities don’t look all that different from our HDB, and their hawker food is delicious and cheap (Malaysians sometimes joke that it’s because so much of our hawker fare is cooked by Malaysians these days). Public infrastructure has also steadily improved (although sitting in a jam reminds you that they’ve got some ways to go), and economic growth last year was the fastest among larger economies.
It’s a reminder that the rest of the world doesn’t stand still, and we do need to continually strive to retain our nation’s edge. But by the same token, it’s a reminder that we shouldn’t revel in unfounded Singapore exceptionalism, but rather recognize that what makes us who we are is simply the result of the institutions and cultural choices that we’ve chosen together, as a nation. The result is the unique and colorful palette that is Singapore. Much like rainbows splashed across stormy skies.
Jamus Lim
2 d ·This weekend, I followed a group of #SengkangGRC residents to Cameron Highlands, for our annual Malaysia trip. Due to traffic—it was double trouble, being both the weekend and the first day of school holidays (both in Singapore as well as Malaysia, apparently)—our journey up took much longer than we would have liked. On the bright side, we did catch a beautiful rainbow along the way up, offset by storm clouds.
Malaysia is a study in contrasts. Travelers from Singapore are often frustrated by the relative inefficiency of the customs checkpoints, or shocked if they are asked for a bribe by a police officer. These are reminders of the quality of our bureaucratic service and general incorruptibility of our public officers, something we can be grateful for.
But the careful observer will also recognize that many things we take pride in aren’t sui generis. Public housing flats in their major cities don’t look all that different from our HDB, and their hawker food is delicious and cheap (Malaysians sometimes joke that it’s because so much of our hawker fare is cooked by Malaysians these days). Public infrastructure has also steadily improved (although sitting in a jam reminds you that they’ve got some ways to go), and economic growth last year was the fastest among larger economies.
It’s a reminder that the rest of the world doesn’t stand still, and we do need to continually strive to retain our nation’s edge. But by the same token, it’s a reminder that we shouldn’t revel in unfounded Singapore exceptionalism, but rather recognize that what makes us who we are is simply the result of the institutions and cultural choices that we’ve chosen together, as a nation. The result is the unique and colorful palette that is Singapore. Much like rainbows splashed across stormy skies.
Jamus enjoys Gumbo. 
Gumbo is one of those dishes that few people who have never spent time in the United States would be familiar with. It is part of Cajun-Creole cuisine, and a staple of Louisiana cooking. Gumbo may be regarded as a soup or a stew—I tend to regard it more as the latter—made with okra (ladies’ fingers), seafood (usually shrimp), and andouille (a smoked pork sausage with French origins).
The hallmark of gumbo, however, is the base, which is made with a mirepoix (what we often call rempah or yuxiang, or a mix of diced aromatics cooked in oil) of onions, celery, and bell pepper, blended with roux. Making roux is simple, but at the same time painstaking; in doing so, one transforms the ordinary into something magical. It basically calls for cooking flour in butter, over a medium heat, for a long, long time. But that labor of love changes the seemingly-pedestrian ingredients into something magical: a thick, chocolate-colored sauce, that evokes hints of coffee, nuts, popcorn, and tobacco.
Every month or two, I’ll try to organize a meal among our core team of volunteers: the legislative and secretarial assistants that put so much of their otherwise spare time into grassroots work. So this round, I cooked some gumbo; the hours it took was a way to thank them for the hours they have themselves put in, volunteering to serve the #SengkangGRC community.
Jamus Lim
1 d ·Gumbo is one of those dishes that few people who have never spent time in the United States would be familiar with. It is part of Cajun-Creole cuisine, and a staple of Louisiana cooking. Gumbo may be regarded as a soup or a stew—I tend to regard it more as the latter—made with okra (ladies’ fingers), seafood (usually shrimp), and andouille (a smoked pork sausage with French origins).
The hallmark of gumbo, however, is the base, which is made with a mirepoix (what we often call rempah or yuxiang, or a mix of diced aromatics cooked in oil) of onions, celery, and bell pepper, blended with roux. Making roux is simple, but at the same time painstaking; in doing so, one transforms the ordinary into something magical. It basically calls for cooking flour in butter, over a medium heat, for a long, long time. But that labor of love changes the seemingly-pedestrian ingredients into something magical: a thick, chocolate-colored sauce, that evokes hints of coffee, nuts, popcorn, and tobacco.
Every month or two, I’ll try to organize a meal among our core team of volunteers: the legislative and secretarial assistants that put so much of their otherwise spare time into grassroots work. So this round, I cooked some gumbo; the hours it took was a way to thank them for the hours they have themselves put in, volunteering to serve the #SengkangGRC community.
Jamus has a suggestion.
A network of international schools in ASEAN capitals—based on the local curriculum, and with seamless entry and exit for school-aged Singaporean children—will lower the frictions that our PMETs with families face when they consider stints abroad, and can encourage greater regionalization of Singaporean businesses. #makingyourvotecount
Jamus Lim
13 h ·A network of international schools in ASEAN capitals—based on the local curriculum, and with seamless entry and exit for school-aged Singaporean children—will lower the frictions that our PMETs with families face when they consider stints abroad, and can encourage greater regionalization of Singaporean businesses. #makingyourvotecount
Jamus continues house visits.
The past week, #TeamSengkang wrapped up our house visits with 327B #Anchorvale. We were able to chat about various concerns—some specific to the block—but perhaps unsurprisingly (for Singaporeans), our conversations drifted to the general topic of food.
I was able to share about two issues that I had recently raised in Parliament on that front. In response to feedback about a shortage of halal food options, I had asked about what mechanisms were in place to ensure that coffeeshops in towns provided such options. The government explained that the bidding process for tenancy at coffeeshops requires that a halal stall be included. But since some #SengkangGRC coffeeshops do not have this option, I’ve followed up with questions on how such an option would be preserved, should an existing tenant shut down.
I’ve also raised concerns about the high cost of coffeeshop food in the town. A bunch of volunteers and I gathered data on prices, and we’ve managed to confirm that equivalent meals cost between $0.20 to $1 higher in Sengkang (and, on average, around $0.50 more), versus other mature estates like Ang Mo Kio (where we got the most data from). One suspicion I’ve had for why this discrepancy exists has to do with the bidding process for new coffeeshops (where the contract is awarded to the highest bidder, and costs are then simply passed on to consumers). As it turns out, a much more systematic study—reported yesterday—corroborates this result, down to the discrepancy between Sengkang and Ang Mo Kio (the difference was $0.49).
In response to my suggestion that the government reconsider the current bidding model, SMS Sim Ann suggested that many factors go into determining hawker food prices, and the government believe that the existing approach of requiring more budget options was sufficient. While I think this can potentially help, it doesn’t address the fundamental issue of overall price rises due to high bids getting passed on to consumers—which would still show up on all the other “non-budget” items—nor does it answer the question of why there appears to be a distinction between pricing in mature versus nonmature estates. We will continue to push for a deeper examination on this front in the months ahead.
Jamus Lim
4 d ·The past week, #TeamSengkang wrapped up our house visits with 327B #Anchorvale. We were able to chat about various concerns—some specific to the block—but perhaps unsurprisingly (for Singaporeans), our conversations drifted to the general topic of food.
I was able to share about two issues that I had recently raised in Parliament on that front. In response to feedback about a shortage of halal food options, I had asked about what mechanisms were in place to ensure that coffeeshops in towns provided such options. The government explained that the bidding process for tenancy at coffeeshops requires that a halal stall be included. But since some #SengkangGRC coffeeshops do not have this option, I’ve followed up with questions on how such an option would be preserved, should an existing tenant shut down.
I’ve also raised concerns about the high cost of coffeeshop food in the town. A bunch of volunteers and I gathered data on prices, and we’ve managed to confirm that equivalent meals cost between $0.20 to $1 higher in Sengkang (and, on average, around $0.50 more), versus other mature estates like Ang Mo Kio (where we got the most data from). One suspicion I’ve had for why this discrepancy exists has to do with the bidding process for new coffeeshops (where the contract is awarded to the highest bidder, and costs are then simply passed on to consumers). As it turns out, a much more systematic study—reported yesterday—corroborates this result, down to the discrepancy between Sengkang and Ang Mo Kio (the difference was $0.49).
In response to my suggestion that the government reconsider the current bidding model, SMS Sim Ann suggested that many factors go into determining hawker food prices, and the government believe that the existing approach of requiring more budget options was sufficient. While I think this can potentially help, it doesn’t address the fundamental issue of overall price rises due to high bids getting passed on to consumers—which would still show up on all the other “non-budget” items—nor does it answer the question of why there appears to be a distinction between pricing in mature versus nonmature estates. We will continue to push for a deeper examination on this front in the months ahead.
Jamus recommends working and living abroad. 
When I was younger and working in different locations worldwide, I often saw how valuable it was to approach an old problem with a fresh perspective, informed by one’s experience from elsewhere. Many people who gain such perspectives do so from living abroad; whether it is by studying, or working, or just extensive travel. When we are thrust into an alien environment, we are forced to confront our preconceptions and assumptions. If you’ve moved away from home before, you’ll know what I mean. Simple tasks—figuring out what brands of cereal or instant noodles are available, what buses to take to go somewhere, or where the nearest bank is—become a cognitive tax.
Eventually, folks adapt and settle down (thank god, otherwise going about our daily lives would be misery). But there is a benefit that comes from that entire learning process: you develop a sense of self-reliance and a problem-solving capability. You also learn how to be sensitive to how folks from different cultures think, and come to accept that your way of looking at an issue may not translate into something that appeals to the market at large. You gain a humility about what works (or doesn’t).
One challenge that emerges when I speak with hiring managers in today’s PMET market is that they rue how Singaporeans may not have such an international—and especially regional—perspective. Even those that studied abroad have done so in other advanced economies (think Europe, Japan, Oz, or the U.S.), and less so in emerging and developing countries, where the modus operandi and business challenges are quite different and unique. So it is little surprise that—given how I strongly believe that the future of Singapore’s economic model should be oriented more regionally rather than globally—I think that our PMETs should seize opportunities to be posted to other ASEAN capitals, for short stints.
But there are barriers to doing so, of course. Some of it is language, although that can be learned and English is a global business lingua franca. Some of it is reluctance to take a chance. Yet another is being able to convince parents to pull their kids out of the school system, only to reinsert them a few years later.
That’s why I think Singapore international schools—modeled on a curriculum that permits seamless exit and reentry into local schools—can significantly reduce the frictions to families choosing to relocate for a few years, as one (or more) member pursues career opportunities. These schools would charge the same nominal miscellaneous fees (with no school fees for Singaporean students). The levels would mimic those here, so you can plug-and-play between Hanoi and Hougang, Jakarta and Jurong, or Bangkok and Buangkok.
But should taxpayers pay for all this? Well, for starters, the families are typically Singaporeans, who would have paid taxes into the system prior to relocation. The kids would also be Singaporeans, who are just following their parents overseas. Moreover, such subsidies already exist. MOE supports a Singapore international school in Hong Kong (which is justified by the number of Singaporeans there). But if we buy this logic, then it’s not a huge leap to say this can apply to other regional capitals, too.
What if there aren’t enough Singaporean students in those countries? Well, we can start small, then scale up as needed. Indeed, the demand may well be endogenous; the presence of such schools could prompt more PMET families to be willing to relocate, in turn fueling demand. Enterprise Singapore is actively working to encourage local firms to internationalize. This suggestion extends that initiative to another dimension—education—which many families regard as one of the key dealbreakers when choosing whether or not to move. #makingyourvotecount
Jamus Lim
5 d ·When I was younger and working in different locations worldwide, I often saw how valuable it was to approach an old problem with a fresh perspective, informed by one’s experience from elsewhere. Many people who gain such perspectives do so from living abroad; whether it is by studying, or working, or just extensive travel. When we are thrust into an alien environment, we are forced to confront our preconceptions and assumptions. If you’ve moved away from home before, you’ll know what I mean. Simple tasks—figuring out what brands of cereal or instant noodles are available, what buses to take to go somewhere, or where the nearest bank is—become a cognitive tax.
Eventually, folks adapt and settle down (thank god, otherwise going about our daily lives would be misery). But there is a benefit that comes from that entire learning process: you develop a sense of self-reliance and a problem-solving capability. You also learn how to be sensitive to how folks from different cultures think, and come to accept that your way of looking at an issue may not translate into something that appeals to the market at large. You gain a humility about what works (or doesn’t).
One challenge that emerges when I speak with hiring managers in today’s PMET market is that they rue how Singaporeans may not have such an international—and especially regional—perspective. Even those that studied abroad have done so in other advanced economies (think Europe, Japan, Oz, or the U.S.), and less so in emerging and developing countries, where the modus operandi and business challenges are quite different and unique. So it is little surprise that—given how I strongly believe that the future of Singapore’s economic model should be oriented more regionally rather than globally—I think that our PMETs should seize opportunities to be posted to other ASEAN capitals, for short stints.
But there are barriers to doing so, of course. Some of it is language, although that can be learned and English is a global business lingua franca. Some of it is reluctance to take a chance. Yet another is being able to convince parents to pull their kids out of the school system, only to reinsert them a few years later.
That’s why I think Singapore international schools—modeled on a curriculum that permits seamless exit and reentry into local schools—can significantly reduce the frictions to families choosing to relocate for a few years, as one (or more) member pursues career opportunities. These schools would charge the same nominal miscellaneous fees (with no school fees for Singaporean students). The levels would mimic those here, so you can plug-and-play between Hanoi and Hougang, Jakarta and Jurong, or Bangkok and Buangkok.
But should taxpayers pay for all this? Well, for starters, the families are typically Singaporeans, who would have paid taxes into the system prior to relocation. The kids would also be Singaporeans, who are just following their parents overseas. Moreover, such subsidies already exist. MOE supports a Singapore international school in Hong Kong (which is justified by the number of Singaporeans there). But if we buy this logic, then it’s not a huge leap to say this can apply to other regional capitals, too.
What if there aren’t enough Singaporean students in those countries? Well, we can start small, then scale up as needed. Indeed, the demand may well be endogenous; the presence of such schools could prompt more PMET families to be willing to relocate, in turn fueling demand. Enterprise Singapore is actively working to encourage local firms to internationalize. This suggestion extends that initiative to another dimension—education—which many families regard as one of the key dealbreakers when choosing whether or not to move. #makingyourvotecount
