Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

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Jamus tries to persuade a youngman.

 

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Jamus tries to persuade an oldman.

 

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Jamus Lim​

16 October at 08:02 ·
Last week, #TeamSengkang was able to complete house visits at 302C, and also almost made our way through the neighboring 302D.
Besides the usual feedback about the occasional litter, noisy plane flyovers, and estate wishlists, one resident shared about the challenges faced by singles in Singapore, especially when it comes to public policy. Besides having to wait till she turned 35 before she could apply for a new flat—a policy that the #workersparty has agitated against, since we believe that most family formation would have occurred by the age of 28, and the additional delay only leaves many singles unable to strike out independently—she also noted that the policy had an unintended consequence for those who were still caring for an elderly parent.
Since singles BTOs only allow for a studio or two-room unit, those with parents (or a widowed parent) that—for whatever reason—cannot be listed as co-applicants would need to either share a cramped apartment, or go into the more expensive resale market. And were they to (perhaps understandably) pursue the purchase of a larger resale, they would often be excluded from many financial support schemes, on the basis of the higher valuation of their flat, despite not being in particularly great financial circumstances.
As we mature as a high-income economy, it is typical for marriages to be delayed, which means that more and more singles could find themselves in such situations. My #SengkangGRC teammate Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威 spoke about this a year ago, as others in our Party have before him. We shall continue to advocate for common-sense ways to adapt our public policies to the changing demography of Singaporean societies.

 

[jw5]

Jamus Lim​

24 October at 19:07 ·
Last week’s #TeamSengkang house visits saw us wrap up the lower levels of 302D #Anchorvale, followed up the upper floors of the neighboring 304B. Our weekend took us to the 308 coffeeshop—where we caught up with many residents but also nonresidents coming in from nearby Fernvale and beyond—along with the Sengkang Grand and #Buangkok MRT area, as part of the #workersparty outreach via our Hammer newspaper sales.
One interesting visit we had was with a resident who had a large collection of books, many of which he acquired in China. As a bibliophile myself—although, admittedly, I do not possess the same passion that this uncle did for Chinese history and literature, and there may be more than a few books on my own bookshelves that I have yet to finish reading—I was impressed by his love for the written word, which I share.
Reading is a habit that I’ve cultivated since I was a boy, when my mother would drop me off at an MPH bookstore near her office on Saturday mornings, leaving me to my own devices. We couldn’t always afford to buy new books every week, but Mom would always try to do so every fortnight, or at worst, once a month.
Funnily enough though, I was a late starter. As a pre-schooler, I hated books, and would rip them up and stuff the pieces into the gaps in our couch (sorry Mr Men!). It was only when one of my cousins passed me a copy of the Enid Blyton she was reading—around Primary Two—when I suddenly discovered the world that would open up to a new avid reader. All this to say that one never knows when a child will take off, and we should always recognize how each kid will uncover their loves and talents at their own pace. #SengkangGRC

 

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Jamus asks for permission to speak to resident.

 

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Jamus tries to convince a family while they are having their meal.

 

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Jamus tries to convince a family whose father is more interested in stirring his coffee.

 

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Jamus tries to persuade a few oldmen.

 

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Jamus poses with his colleagues.

 

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Jamus distributes gift packs.

Jamus Lim​

13 h ·
Thanks to the generosity of our kind donors, we were able to distribute gift packs for some of our less-fortunate Indian residents in #Anchorvale. This year’s pack was quite a bit larger than prior ones—it comprised of four different bags—which made the logistics of hauling them around on a warm Saturday morning a little more involved. Nevertheless, the even warmer smiles from these households made the process all worthwhile. To all Indians who are celebrating the Festival of Light: Happy Deepavali/Diwali, and may your own hearts be likewise warmed by the lights of the festival. #SengkangGRC

 

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Jamus makes a new friend.

 

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Jamus catered a lunch.

Jamus Lim​

6 h ·
One thing sometimes forgotten when one adopts a management mindset focused on relentless cost-cutting (or profit maximizing) is that workers are humans too, and carry within them not just their talents and skills and industry, but also social and cultural norms as well. One of these norms is gratitude and reciprocity, which is why intangibles such as appreciation and praise can solidify working relationships across the organization.
It is in this spirit that we occasionally organize appreciation lunches for our estate conservancy workers. Taking advantage of the Deepavali holiday, we catered a lunch (dum biryani, a slight departure from our usual) for our #Anchorvale and #Compassvale cleaning and electrician crew. These workers are often on call 24/7, and so taking some time off to fellowship and mingle is certainly welcome. Our thanks as well to all the residents who have shared their stories of how they also support these workers, from buying them small snacks or drinks, to simple acts like learning their name and greeting them good morning. We believe that every little bit of kindness helps build a genuine community in #SengkangGRC, one that we can be justifiable proud to be a part of.

 

[jw5]

Jamus is interested in gardening.

Jamus Lim​

1 d ·
A month or so ago, the town council was gifted some vegetables from a gardening group at #Anchorvale, which we shared among a few staff members. I was fortunate to receive a few bags from the harvest.
The garden itself is a neat little testimony of resilience. The space had fallen into disuse a few years ago, even as demand from residents was up for more gardening facilities, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We worked with the town council to revive its use, and managed gather a list of interested aunties and uncles with farming experience—hooray for the parents of some of our new citizens—to tend to the plot.
Today, the garden serves as a small external classroom for the kids in the adjacent preschool, which is wonderful because we really want our kids to understand that their fruits and veggies do not actually grow from supermarket shelves. But it also offers its bounty for a few lucky ones, including yours truly. And hooray for mothers who know what to do with cooking leafy green vegetables, which we were able to enjoy over a weekday lunch.
Postscript: for residents in #SengkangGRC, we work with the authorities to try to set up community gardens. What HDB requests from us are a list of interested residents in the community. If you are able to gather about 8-10 neighbors for this purpose, please reach out to us, and we’ll do what we can do to move things along.

 

[jw5]

Jamus poses with his colleagues outside the MRT station.

 

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Jamus continues house visits.

Jamus Lim​

5 d ·
Over the past couple of weeks, our #SengkangGRC house visits took us through 289A #Compassvale, as well as 304B and 303B #Anchorvale. We had many useful conversations, but one in particular stood out. A PMET resident—who had been laid off as a result of corporate downsizing—shared about the difficulties he faced in securing another job after his office was shut down.
In my view (and one I’ve shared in Parliament), we can do more to have a pathway from redundancy-unemployment support-retraining-reemployment. The #workersparty had repeatedly made the case for redundancy insurance, and we’re glad that the government has finally indicated that some such scheme will probably be rolled out soon. I’ve also suggested that our #SkillsFuture program could be further refined, with stronger input by industry over course content, so that workers become equipped with the practical and experiential skills that employers truly need.
But what struck me as sorely needed—a point further corroborated by this resident—is an assurance that the skills that one retrains in ultimately translates into a job. This has to come from not only making sure that the SkillsFuture courses and retraining programs pursued closely align with actual business needs; it can go further to provide a soft guarantee of a job. Have the government build a database of the sort of workers they need, and match trainees to these courses, with an assurance that, post-reskilling, they would be absorbed into one of these new jobs for at least 6 months. To sweeten the deal on the employer side, the government can cover part of the retrained worker’s wages during this period. And lest we think this approach impracticable, it is already the way that unemployment is handled in a number of Scandinavian countries. As a wealthy country that routinely stresses the importance of human capital development, my hope is that we will steadily evolve our unemployment safety net toward those befitting a 21st century economy and society.

 

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Jamus gets three thumbs-up!

 

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Jamus went to Orchard Road.

Jamus Lim​

12 h ·
Last night, I managed to squeeze a little extra time after my weekend duties, and so we drove down to Orchard Road to have dinner as a family, and catch some of the annual Christmas light up. It’s a family tradition that we’ve maintained since our daughter was born; I can still remember the feeling of joy we shared as we bundled her into the car seat to gaze at bright lights that first holiday season (a car that, incidentally, we only got because it made so much more sense with a young child). It didn’t matter that she probably couldn’t really see the lights that first year, or that she doesn’t remember any of it. Our family just felt more… complete.
Our daughter can now gasp in greater wonder at the light up. Regardless, the year-end period always leaves me with that special holiday feeling (the ever-so-slightly cooler weather also helps). Many shops and restaurants have already put up decorations, and the radio has begun to play carols. In that same spirit, we are hosting our #Anchorvale Christmas party a little earlier this year, but I hope it merely helps get us all in the mood for appreciating the things that make this time of the year meaningful: family and loved ones, friends and colleagues, and—for those of faith—the reason for the season. Please do join us in a few weeks! #TeamSengkang

 

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Jamus poses with an LKB.

 

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Jamus is concerned about COEs.

Jamus Lim​

1 d ·
The #workersparty recently filed a motion on the cost of living in Parliament. We spoke about all the areas where Singaporeans are facing pressure: from more expensive utilities bills, to runaway house prices, to rising medical fees, and (of course) food. My contribution was to speak about rising transport costs. I focused on COE prices (especially for cars), because this has been contributing the most, in recent times, to escalating transport costs.
Some may wonder if COE prices are just the concern of elites. I don’t think so. Two in five households own a car. Many of these are just regular families, many with young children, for which wheels help get kids to classes, pull off grocery runs, and make work appointments. Others are those with an elderly or dependent with medical needs, for which a reliable ride becomes almost a necessity. Besides, pricey car COEs spill over into the cost of semi-public options, like taxis and rideshares, or low-cost alternatives, like motorbikes.
Importantly, like the other MPs, I proposed what I believe are structural solutions that will help alleviate cost of living concerns, not just additional handouts like the Assurance Package, which—as welcome as they are—only offer a short-term palliative. Why does this matter? Because this is really where an opposition voice really stands out. A vote for the incumbent PAP is for more of the same, an acceptance that the system, which has delivered ever-rising costs of living, does not need reform. What we’re saying is that, despite having served a solid purpose, more of the same no longer cuts it when the young worry about being able to afford their first flat, or young families a modest car, or lower-income households relief from high water and electricity bills.
For cars, the move that will make the most difference is to balance out annual vehicle quotas. For some befuddling reason, we’ve chosen to fix this quota at (more or less) the number of cars that were registered in the first decade after the system was rolled out. This has led to a frustrating cycle of feast and famine: in years where quotas are scarce (like recently), COE prices go through the roof; in years where quotas abound, prices plummet.
Incidentally, there was a chart in the recent Straits Times that shows this, vividly. The only puzzling element is the headline—“not just supply and demand”—when the data scream (as loudly as any social scientific data can) that it’s essentially all about supply. To ensure that quota reallocation doesn’t get frustrated by COE horsetrading (those with high-priced COEs in famine years get tempted to trade in their cars before 10 years, to take advantage of low-priced COEs in feast years, and vice versa), we should stop reimbursing trade-in COEs at face value.
There’s also a big demand component that has to be reckoned with: added demand from private hire cars (PHCs). Don’t get me wrong; I think PHCs are, on balance, a good addition to our national transport mix, and offer employment opportunities for certain groups. But undeniably, PHCs add fuel (pardon the pun) to the flame of demand, at least at the margin. The Ministry of Transport has denied this, saying that there has been no material increase in COE prices even while PHC demand has been stable.
This misses out an important point: what could have been (the so-called counterfactual). Would COE prices be even lower, had we removed PHCs from the Cat A/B pool? After all, the number of such cars have risen close to fivefold over the past decade. And unlike regular cars, their demand is almost entirely driven by commercial considerations, which would typically mean a greater willingness to pay higher COE prices than less well-off households faced with a need for a set of wheels. The upshot of this is, unsurprisingly, higher COE prices than otherwise.
As frustrating as this would be for erstwhile car buyers, there is a sensible solution to this: treat heavy-use PHCs the way we do taxicabs: have them draw on the Cat E (Open) pool, but pay Cat A/B prices. This keeps the demand pressure in only one category, which we can think of as a “penalty” category. This is where you would also place buyers of 2nd cars. Even if this group of buyers is small, their demand can escalate prices, due to their stronger purchasing power.
While we’re looking to contain demand, we should also question whether dealers should be allowed to bid for multiple COEs. There are good reasons why they should—the car-COE bundle they offer makes the car buying process simpler—but it has led to industry concentration. This, in turn, can contribute to higher costs of car ownership. It may be high time to consider whether buyers should be the ones bidding for COEs directly, with dealers only offering advisory services (perhaps for a fee).
Finally, it also makes sense to tweak the motorcycle category further. Bike COEs can provide an important outlet for private transport demand needs to be met. Those who ride bikes are often doing so for commercial reasons, and besides, bikes have a smaller road footprint.
All these are solid reforms to the creaky COE system. The government appears to have taken baby steps in this direction, with the “cut-and-fill” of quotas. But current moves have been too tentative, and the MoT has not committed to fully smoothing future quota supply (it’s too easy to temporarily “fix” the high-COE problem, and conveniently forget to press on with lasting structural reforms, once the price pressure eases. As explained, COE reform has to be a multi-pronged process).
The quota system with COEs has been an urban transport success, helping keep Singaporeans roads relatively jam-free, compared to other major cities worldwide. But it has begun to slowly unravel, and decisive measures are needed today to keep costs down. #makingyourvotecount

 

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Jamus offered one important reason.

Jamus Lim​

1 d ·

The Workers' Party​

1 d ·
In his speech on the proposed amendments to the Constitution, MP Jamus Lim offered one important reason for why the Workers' Party objects to the Bill, based on how the retroactive dating of laws should only be used sparingly. He explained that if the present bill were sufficiently important, it should have been passed earlier, without taking the constitutional amendment process for granted.
#wpsg #makeyourvotecount