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Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

jw5

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Jamus welcomes you. :smile:

Jamus Lim

1 d ·
One of the more encouraging conversations I have with young folks is when they display a genuine interest in policy matters. The young are, quite literally, our collective future, and when they exercise their reasoning faculties and ponder the logic and justification behind the policies we adopt (rather than simply accept—sometimes grudgingly—these as having delivered from on high), our society becomes more resilient, since we are forced to recognize the purpose of public policies.
The #workersparty contribution to this process is to offer alternative views that we feel may not have been sufficiently considered or ventilated. We did so in the most recent budget, where our MPs spoke on a wide range of topics, ranging from stresses in our education system, to job opportunities and shortages, to the use of electric vehicles, to lowering the voting age. This weekend, Gerald Giam 严燕松 and I will be part of a town hall, organized by The Workers' Party Youth Wing (WPYW), where we will share our thoughts on the Party’s recent budget interventions. Open to all, come join us! #makingyourvotecount
May be an image of 2 people and text that says THE WORKERS' PARTY YOUTH WING PRESENTS POST BUDGET 2023 TOWNHALL Saturday 25th March 3:00pm-5:00pm 3:00pm 5:00pm Teambuild Centre, #04-02 701 Geylang Road Singapore 389687 Panelists Sign-Up Here! GeraldGiam Gerald Giam Head Policy Research Jamus Lim DeputyHead Deputy Head Policy PolicyResearch Research
 

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Jamus wishes Ramadan Kareem to all who are observing the fast this month. :thumbsup:

Jamus Lim

7 h ·
Depending on where you are in the world (which influences the sighting of the crescent moon), one of the days this week will mark the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan (in Singapore, we start today).
Ramadan is a period for sacrifice and introspection, of course, but it is also a time for communion and fellowship, especially in the evenings during Iftar (buka Puasa). When I lived in the Mideast, I would recall how my Muslim colleagues would stay up long into the early hours of the morning, as they spent time together after the breaking of bread.
To all who are observing the fast this month, Ramadan Kareem. Do consider joining #TeamSengkang at our #SengkangGRC Iftar, to be held on April 15.
Anggota Parlimen serta pasukan Sengkang GRC ingin mengucapkan Ramadan Mubarak kepada semua Muslimin dan Muslimah di Singapura dan khususnya di Sengkang GRC. Marilah berbuka puasa bersama kami pada 15hb April. Dapatkan tiket anda di lokasi yang tertera di poster ini.










 

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Jamus is not convinced. :cautious:

Jamus Lim

13 h ·
Parliament recently debated a motion dealing with the postmortem to the #COVID19 pandemic response. On balance, the #workersparty supported the conclusions of the paper, which included both successes and areas where the government fell short. Real-time policymaking is often clouded by the fog of the moment, and it’s unfair to expect anyone to get every call right. Still, we should all should be circumspect (and humble) when we review our missteps, to better learn from them.
While I didn’t have issue with most of the arguments made, I did not find the claim—made by Minister Ong about the speed of our initial vaccination response—entirely convincing. Notwithstanding how a small country (and market) like Singapore would usually find its hands tied when trying to get ahead of the queue in any advance purchases, I felt that we should acknowledge that our vaccine rollout was comparatively slower than many other countries. So I asked for some clarifications from the Minister, and you can see the full exchange here. #makingyourvotecount
For those who wish to read the full white paper, it is available here, along with some
digestible infographics: https://www.gov.sg/article/covid-19-white-paper

 

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Jamus was invited to be a guest lecturer. :thumbsup:

Jamus Lim

2 d ·
Last week, I was invited to deliver a guest lecture for the distinguished speaker series in Economics and Society at the College of Integrative Studies at the Singapore Management University. My topic was the Political Economy of International Financial Crises (which because extremely relevant rather fortuitously; the topic was decided on way before recent developments with SVB and Credit Suisse).
Since the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis—an experience that shaped the views of an entire generation of Asian economists—I’ve maintained an enduring (bordering on unhealthy) interest in financial crises. I’ve published a bunch of papers on the topic, and my doctoral dissertation research dealt with the intersection of such crises and political economy matter (hence my choice of topic for the lecture).
As I shared during the talk, I do not believe that the recent bank failures are symptomatic of the beginning of a more generalized banking crisis (famous last words). But there are real imbalances and stressors in financial markets, including a buildup of sovereign debt in the aftermath of the pandemic, and eroding foreign exchange reserves in a number of emerging Asian economies. If anything, these are points of vulnerability that worry me more. And should those be triggered, then all bets are off, since crises have a way of occurring together (the massive devaluation due to a currency crisis could lead to higher import prices that give rise to an inflation crisis, for example, or make interest payments on external debt unbearable, giving rise to a sovereign debt crisis. These then induce defaults on private borrowing that makes the banking system fragile).
Thanks to Giovanni Ko for the invitation, and to all participants for asking penetrating questions!
Postscript: I was also interviewed recently on the current situation in financial markets on LinkedIn News; you may read more about my perspective here: https://www.linkedin.com/.../ubs-buys-credit-suisse...








 

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Jamus celebrated his wife's birthday with his wife and daughter. :smile:

Jamus Lim

13 h ·
Sometimes, amid our busy lives and constant striving and overflowing schedules, we fail to recognize and appreciate how the greatest things in life are often the simplest to achieve. Last night, we brought our daughter out to celebrate, as a family, my wife’s birthday. We didn’t go to a fancy restaurant; just a pizza place, where we had been to before, when our daughter was younger.
The restaurant itself is by a busy road, across from a construction site. We sat outdoors, exposed to the local elements and buzz of traffic (albeit it was a blessedly cool evening). My wife and I shared a pizza—hardly the stuff of gourmet legend—washed down with beer. Our daughter’s pasta was allá olio, literally dressed with just olive oil because she’s not a fan of… embellishments. But despite the less-than-stellar setting, our daughter loved spending time with us, my wife was delighted, and hence, I was in heaven. We had formed enduring memories that money simply couldn’t buy.
Thinking back, I’m led to recall all the simple things we have done together that still stick to my mind. The walks we took with a hand-me-down stroller, by the river near our place, after our daughter was born. The joy of catching first moments with our daughter, in our tiny apartment, crowded with her toys in the living room.
In the end, I think what we’re all chasing boils down to a few basics. To find peace, doing something we find meaningful, and to be content while we’re doing it. To find happiness with the people we care about, and to treasure those moments when they present themselves. And to look forward to a brighter future.








 

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Jamus went around selling newspapers. :o-o::eek::biggrin:

Jamus Lim

19 March at 15:25 ·
This Sunday morning, I joined other #workersparty members at Kovan, for my first #Hammer outreach for the year (sales of this issue of our newspaper commenced last week, but I was with #Anchorvale residents in Malaysia).
It’s always nice to meet and interact with Singaporeans at such events, even if they may not be our #SengkangGRC residents (although we met a good number who were, since the food center is just 2 MRT stops away from the estate). Many have interesting stories to share, or concerns to flag. One of the couples I spoke to, however, remained on my mind.
I approached them, as they were having breakfast, to ask if they might be interested in purchasing a paper. The lady appeared to be quite resolutely disinterested, and I prepared to politely move on, as I understand that opposition politics may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But the gentleman waved me back, and ended up purchasing a copy of the Hammer, as he silently signaled his support.
In my experience, this isn’t that unusual. I’ve met couples that don’t share the same politics (or even the same worldviews), but remain in otherwise loving relationships. For me, this was also a wonderful analogy of the place that our party resides within the Singaporean polity. Even if you disagree with the positions we hold or the views we espouse, it’s still possible to remain respectful of these differences. And to recognize that we—even in opposition—remain loyal Singaporeans, who only wish the best for the country that we love.










 

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Jamus went to Cameron Highlands. :smile:

Jamus Lim

20 March at 07:53 ·
Last week, we had our annual #SengkangGRC Malaysia tour, where we headed to Cameron Highlands. We had wished to include as many families as possible, so our timing overlapped with the school holidays (which unfortunately also meant heavier traffic, on top of the already very-long bus ride).
For those that made it out with us (and for others that have been there before), we were treated to wonderful weather, but for me, what was even better was the opportunity to commune with nature. Some travelers may find things like visiting strawberry farms or animal sanctuaries or farmers’ markets to be boring, but I actually think we don’t have enough exposure to such rural life here is Singapore. So I’m delighted when kids are able to learn about a different way of life, about how food gets to our supermarket shelves and dining tabletops, and how challenging (and sometimes thankless) it is to ensure that everyone gets fed in a modern economy.
Like almost every Singaporean, I grew up as a city boy myself. And in so doing, I had little appreciation for country living, and also a shallow understanding of living amidst nature. Sure, I was a boy scout, which provided some (limited, on hindsight) exposure to camping and outdoor survival. But it was only when I stayed in a house out in the Californian redwoods, hiking or mountain biking the mile or so to campus daily, running on backwoods trails with the house dog, and experiencing nature up close and personal (besides the coyotes that would come right up beside my bedroom at night, one would spot the occasional mountain lion or bobcat—ideally from afar—and remind oneself of how to react if they were to approach), that I got to better understand what being part of an ecosystem truly means (it’s still only a sliver, of course; I still slept in a nice warm bed on most nights).
All that to say that I hope that Singaporeans of all ages and stripes—despite our modernity—will also take time to expose ourselves to a deeper commune with nature. It will better help us place ourselves in the larger world that we inhabit alongside other living things, and help us cherish and desire to protect the Earth that we share.
Deep thanks to our operator partners, as well as our #TeamSengkang organizing leads and volunteer bus captains (who became de facto secondary tour guides), along with the ever-present Mr Low, who assisted with meet-the-people cover while I was away.













 

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Jamus continues house visits. :thumbsup:

Jamus Lim

3 d ·
This week, #TeamSengkang made a solid start on 338C #Anchorvale, where we will spend the next couple of weeks, until we wrap up the Parkview cluster (after which, we will have completed one round of house visits for two precincts in the division, Parkview and Horizon).
The cluster is one where we had received feedback about the rapid deterioration of the external facade. Understandably, this is a concern, not just for aesthetics, but because many residents worry about what this could mean for their (and especially their children’s) health. The town council has since activated the warranty for the paint job, and is working with HDB on resolving the issue (HDB is also collecting samples on site, together with another site in Punggol that has the same problem). The town council is also working on bringing forward slightly plans for the site’s repair and redecoration (R&R) works, which are otherwise due every 7 years.
On my part, I (along with other MPs) have filed a number of Parliamentary questions on factors affecting Mould growth in HDB flats, expected standards for exterior paint, and whether location and design have anything to do with it. You may read these here:
https://www.mnd.gov.sg/.../written-answer-by-mnd-on-anti...
https://www.mnd.gov.sg/.../written-answer-by-mnd-on...
https://www.mnd.gov.sg/.../written-answer-by-mnd-on...

 

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Jamus invites you for a run. :wink:

Jamus Lim

12 h ·
This Saturday will be the first weekend of the month, which means that we’re scheduled for our monthly #SengkangGRC #RiverRun. While we still plan on doing so—after all, what is getting fit without the discipline of routine?—#TeamSengkang will have an Iftar event that evening, so we will move the run to the morning instead, bright and early (and hopefully still cool) at 7 am. Hope to see all who can make it!

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Jamus is concerned about insufficient Muslim-food options in #Anchorvale. :cool:

Jamus Lim

4 d ·
In response to feedback that there were insufficient Muslim-food options in #Anchorvale, #TeamSengkang went about investigating whether this was, indeed, true. As it turns out, at the time of our ground survey, not all coffeeshops had a Muslim food option. This led me to wonder whether there was any stipulation that such options be continuously provided for, after the initial bidding process.
As it turns out, operators are required to find a replacement for such stalls if there is a vacancy due to business failure. However, no time frame is provided, and the sanction seems to be that the anchor operator’s tenancy may not be renewed, and there does not appear to be any financial repercussions for failing to do so expeditiously. This seems unfair, given that eating is a necessity, and with the lower density of coffeeshops already in nonmature estates, this reduces their dining options even further.
We’ll continue to look into this matter, and hope that a more concerted regulatory effort can be applied to ensuring that our Muslim residents are well-served in #SengkangGRC.








 

jw5

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Jamus continues house visits. :wink:

Jamus Lim

1 d ·
It’s the end of the month, so the #TeamSengkang house visits were a doublebill, with the final wrap-up of the (impossibly large) 290A #Compassvale—after which we proceeded to 288C and, incredibly, managed to close that block out too—coupled with the completion of 338C and a (very nascent) start on 338D #Anchorvale. We had many wonderful conversations, but two—about the nature of political discourse—stuck with me, not least because they illustrate what I hope to be signs of a mature electorate.
One resident, a teacher, revealed that—in the interest of promoting discussion and reflection—he would introduce the debates that I had on policy into his classroom. I was overjoyed that he saw the importance of this, and I urged him to continue to spur our young minds with active thinking. After all, with the advent of the next wave of artificial intelligence (in apps like ChatGPT), the notion of learning as one that is primarily about simple knowledge transfer or rote memorization or closed-book tests is rapidly becoming archaic. We need to equip our kids with tools on how to think, not what, and that can only happen when we apply a critical eye to all dimensions of an issue (whether one agrees with them or not).
Another resident—who indicated that he held distinct political views from mine—said that he nevertheless accepted how I was the duly elected representative for the estate, along with its rights and responsibilities. Hence, he hoped that when the investigation on the premature deterioration of the external facade for #Anchorvale Parkview (and related Punggol Matilda Court) cluster is released, that I would be forthright with its findings. I assured him that I always try to be as transparent as I can with the Singaporean people (and that includes of course our #SengkangGRC residents). He then shared that, despite our political differences, he agreed that I am someone that does not sugarcoat the facts, and that was something that he appreciated.


 
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