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Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

jw5

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Jamus poses with 2 people and 2 dogs. :biggrin:

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Jamus Lim

20h ·


The Workers' Party

20h ·
In his speech on the Platform Workers Bill, MP Jamus Lim sketched out how the economics of platform work leaves many gig workers in a vulnerable position, which in turn contributes to insufficient retirement saving on their part. While he supported the Bill, he also offered some suggestions on how to improve incentives for signing on to CPF, while limiting inadvertent discrimination against workers on the scheme.
#wpsg #makeyourvotecount #SGParliament
 

jw5

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Jamus discusses unemployment insurance. :cool:

Jamus Lim

11h ·
In the recent National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong provided more details about the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme (JSS), the PAP’s version of unemployment insurance. The #workersparty first raised its version of redundancy insurance (RI) close to two decades ago (it first showed up in a manifesto way back in 2006), and we offered substantial detail ten years thereafter (our 2016 policy paper is here: https://wpsg.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/.../WP...). So I think it’s fair to say that we’ve been thinking about the issue for a while now. But the point isn’t about precedence—after all, such schemes have been a mainstay in advanced economies worldwide for close to a century—but about why it’s way overdue in Singapore.
As an aside, the PAP has chosen to sell the narrative that the JSS isn’t unemployment insurance, based on—as far as I can gather—how it is tied to jobseeking preconditions, and how it’s funded from general revenue, not a payroll tax. For me, these are distinctions without a difference. Tax revenue is fungible, so it all comes from the people anyway (even corporate taxes are ultimately paid by the company’s shareholders), whether the source was from an explicit payroll tax, or elsewhere. But if anything, funding it from general revenue makes it a little less fair, since it’s making non-workers subsidize workers for a program that benefits the latter. But since we’re overwhelmingly wage earners, this difference isn’t a big deal. And to be clear, in our proposal, we did suggest cost-sharing as well, with employers, workers, and government (see, we do believe in tripartism) chipping in to keep the scheme fair and sustainable. After all, protecting workers should be a societal responsibility.
Moreover, tying support to some evidence of jobseeking or retraining is standard in unemployment schemes around the world. Indeed, a primary consideration in any unemployment insurance scheme is how to provide a safety net, while discouraging moochers. Having been raised with an ethos that stresses scarcity (“we’ve no natural resources but our people”) and militates against welfare (“we cannot allow our people to rely on the state”), some have even gone as far as to ask if this move will create a dependency mindset. Setting aside how such fears strike me as overblown—most people, even in the West, do find value and meaning in some form of work—the question of how best to design a system that is more robust to freeriding (there’s that word again!) is nevertheless valid.
Unsurprisingly, economists have thought extensively about how best to design unemployment insurance schemes. While there isn’t a single answer for what would work best at all times, there are some general principles to keep in mind. The key balancing act is how best to calibrate how long unemployment support is offered (called the tenure requirement) against how much is being offered (the monetary requirement). An excessively long tenure discourages a return to the labor force, and will allow skills to erode. Ditto for a large payout, although if it’s too small, the unemployed will find the amount inadequate to sustain household expenses at a critical time.
The #workersparty had suggested a fairly narrow scope for qualification—based on involuntary retrenchment, not just being unemployed—with a solid-but-not-excessively-generous payout tied to income (40 percent of last drawn), for a relatively short time (up to 6 months). The amount is average (but on the low side for advanced economies), and while the duration is on the short end (the OECD average is a year), it is also consistent with our country’s relatively brief unemployment spells (of around 2 months).
We also thought that introducing additional flexibility of access—basically, allowing the unemployed to front-load how much of the total they take—would also buy families some time as they adjust their spending to the job loss. Undoubtedly, there’ll be more debate on the specifics of the JSS, when the legislation winds its way to Parliament. But whether you call it JSS or RI or something else, expanding the safety net for our workers is something that the #workersparty will always be fighting for. #makingyourvotecount










 

jw5

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Jamus enjoys his eggs. :tongue:

Jamus Lim

·
After a hectic week that included parliamentary sittings, several rounds of house visits, mid-autumn celebrations, and the first classes of the academic year, I finally was able to carve out some time for brekkie with the family.
Since our household doesn’t generally consume meat, we lean on eggs as a major source of protein. For breakfast, we tend to like it scrambled, but still creamy. This style—common in French kitchens—requires one to be very patient, slowly stirring the beaten eggs, mixed with generous dollops of butter, over a very low flame. It may call for periodically removing the pan from the heat altogether, should the mixture threaten to set. We pair the eggs with bagels or brioche, and top with (as in this case) some crème fraîche, chives, and cracked black pepper, or perhaps smoked salmon with chopped dill.
The discipline of taking time to do something right applies in many other areas of life, too. Often, it’s what distinguishes good work from excellent work. When I think about how craft defines quality—the meticulous attention to detail that goes into a Swiss watch, the attention that accompanies a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, or the aching precision the Taiwanese put into producing cutting-edge semiconductors—it is often because someone has taken the time to mull carefully about the hows and whys of what’s being done. In an age where the philosophy of innovation is often about moving quickly and breaking things, I think there’s equal value to taking a few steps back, and approaching what’s being done with mindfulness, consideration, and empathy.
May be an image of poached egg and egg yolk
 

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Jamus is grateful to all the volunteers. :smile:

Jamus Lim

·
Last Saturday, #TeamSengkang celebrated our mid-autumn festival at the Gardens precinct of #Anchorvale. The cluster, aptly named after the large amount of foliage in the central forum area, provided an idyllic setting for the (almost full) moon, and especially the flickering lights from our lantern procession, where we wound our way around the mezzanine floors and across the iconic wooden bridge.The kids—including our daughter, who came along for the fun—were really into the whole event, of course, fueled by mooncakes and ice cream and possibly way too many sweet treats. They even got into the story time (done in English this year), as they spread out on a giant tarp we had laid in front of the small stage area. I managed to sing at least one song about the moon (月亮代表我的心), and another about the setting sun (it’s really tricky to find contemporary English songs featuring moons, as it turns out).As my wife commented, it was our most comprehensive and impressive mid-autumn event to date. I’m grateful, as usual, to all the volunteers who gave their time, energy, and patience as they manned the game and food booths. And of course, to all residents who came down to celebrate one of the major festivals on the Chinese calendar: we hope you had as much fun as we did! #SengkangGRC

 

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Jamus wishes everyone 中秋节快乐! :tongue:

Jamus Lim

8h ·
中秋节快乐! Although today is the actual day—and peak full moongazing opportunity—like many others, #TeamSengkang celebrated Mid-Autumn festivities at the Cape neighborhood of #Compassvale last Friday evening.
The kids were raucous but delightful, and sank their teeth (metaphorically)
into the riddles, pomelo-busting, and games, as well as (literally) into the old-school snacks and ice-cream. Traditions are kept alive by the next generation, and I’m happy that we were able to engage them in a way that, we hope, will also leave a deep and meaningful impression of the harvest festival, one that they will carry well into adulthood. I certainly recall the trauma that accompanied by lantern going up in flames when I was a child!
Thanks to all the volunteers who took the time off to contribute to our residents’ enjoyment at the start of the weekend. It may have been exhausting (especially in a multipurpose hall that would, ideally, be larger), but I’m sure the smiles and laughter of the children made it all worthwhile. #SengkangGRC













 

jw5

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Jamus continues house visits. :cool:

Jamus Lim

20 September at 18:15 ·
Over the past few weeks, we were able to close out our house visits to 318A, 330A, 336D, and 339B #Anchorvale. We also held our WCYH engagements at the Gardens and Harvest clusters. We had our share of feedback to act on, but were also happy to hear that, by and large, residents were pleased with the performance of the town council, especially now that repair and redecoration (R&R) works were in full swing across many of these clusters.
With elections on many Singaporeans’ minds, we are also frequently asked about #TeamSengkang. Of course, Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威, He Ting Ru 何廷儒, and I remain committed to #SengkangGRC. We’ve also been working closely with potential teammates, who are already active on the ground. Perhaps more importantly, we’ve seen a big part of our role over the past four years as setting up processes and formalizing what we do, not only within the town council, and all the different groups we work with.
In many ways, that’s the best gift that each individual brings to the organizations that they are a part of. The more their ideas, aspirations, and methods are institutionalized, the more likely their contributions will live on, for many more seasons after they are no longer there. Any mature organization—the #workersparty counts itself among them—knows this too: that it’s not the individual, but the ideals, that bind us together.

 

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Jamus visited the condominium La Fiesta, located at #Compassvale, for their mid-autumn celebrations. :cool:

Jamus Lim

·
Last week, Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威 and I visited the condominium La Fiesta, located at #Compassvale, for their mid-autumn celebrations (and yes, it was preceded by that huge and sudden storm, or what some have taken to call a “Sumatra Squall”).
Unlike our HDB precincts, MPs are not generally able to access our condominiums, which limits our ability to connect with these residents. Condo boards receive financial support from the Residents’ Network to organize each event, but this is generally on condition that they invite the grassroots adviser (which is not the MP in opposition-held wards).
Given the usual challenges associated with running social events on a tight budget—something we’re both keenly aware of, having both been board members, at various times, for our respective MCSTs—we can hardly blame those tasked with invitations to be looking to stretch their social event dollars as much as possible.
Still, #TeamSengkang are always grateful to receive the occasional invitation to visit the private estates around #SengkangGRC. We try to chip in, best we can, to the festivities. But most importantly, we deeply cherish the opportunity to touch base and hear about the issues that our condo residents care about, so that we can be in better service of everyone living in Sengkang town.













 

jw5

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Jamus went to Johore. :wink:

Jamus Lim

·
Two Saturdays ago, #TeamSengkang headed to Johor, for a one-day trip that took us to Kluang, Yong Peng, and JB. In addition to stuffing ourselves with lunch and dinner feasts, we had snacks galore, Straits-style kopi, and tastes of exotic tropical fruit. And of course, folks got their dose of shopping therapy, often arriving in the morning empty-handed, but returning with a bag or two.
But perhaps more enduring were the memories of our time there. While we typically organize tours by division, this one packed six buses across #SengkangGRC, and all our MPs were able to make the trip, allowing us to connect with residents from across the different divisions. This also allowed us to share our thoughts about the town, and potential plans for the future.
Daytrips are always exhausting, but those to Malaysia do offer an important insight into the contrasts between our two fair nations. This is both in areas where we do (often much) better, but also areas where we can learn from the experiences elsewhere. For me, at least, such glimpses into a Singapore that could have been make me both thankful for how far we’ve come, but also impart in me a deep desire to continue seeing her get even better.
Thanks to all residents who joined us for the day! As always, we plough the modest profits we make from our tours right back to our various activities on the ground, so that we may keep as many of them as accessible as possible. Your indirect contributions make all this possible.













 

jw5

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Jamus sells newspapers. :wink::eek::tongue:

Jamus Lim

30 September at 17:49 ·
This past Sunday, the #workersparty held its Hammer newspaper outreach at #Rivervale and #Compassvale in #SengkangGRC. These sales not only helps the party raise funds; they are also an important part of helping us convey our take on the policy matters of the day.
I contributed a piece to this edition, offering my take on whether inequality is a problem or not in Singapore. While inequality, by certain measures, has come down from peaks around a decade ago, it is still on the high side among advanced economies. Just as importantly, many Singaporeans report that they are concerned about this: surveys in 2020 and 2023 point to inequality as one of the top social issues of concern.
In my view, excessive income and wealth gaps aren’t just a problem from the perspective of fairness; after all, most Singaporean would hardly begrudge others if they succeeded as a result of hard work and talent. But where many, including myself, worry is when even the opportunities available start to look unequal. We see this in formal studies—one found that children’s incomes were uncomfortably closely tried to those of their parents (https://doi.org/10.2202/1935-1682.1713).
This is a sure sign of how privilege acquired in one generation is becoming entrenched. It merely corroborates what many see around us, where richer parents appear better able to get their kids into top schools, perhaps by spending more on supplemental classes that allow for DSA entry, or simply loading up on multiple tuition classes.
While there’s nothing wrong with parents wanting to do the best for their kids. But if allowed to fester, excessive social stratification can have detrimental effects on the economy and society. Research has shown that high inequality can be a drag on growth, and could further undermine social cohesion. These are hard-won gains in Singapore, and we shouldn’t be allow inequality to undermine these so easily.
What solutions might there be? Well, acknowledging that this is an issue to be addressed is a start. The article talks about how well-designed asset and wealth taxes, along with better balance between corporate and personal income taxes, are potential ways forward. For more, you’ll have to purchase a copy! #TeamSengkang


 

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Jamus Lim

·
Tomorrow, I’ll be at the Kinokuniya flagship at Taka, for a meet-the-author session. I’ll spend some time giving a quick overview of my book on Asian economies, before taking audience questions. I’ll also be signing copies for anyone who wishes. If you’ve purchased a copy previously (or wish to pick one up), and would like to either meet me or get the book signed, please feel free to drop by!

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jw5

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Jamus attends a satay social. :cool:

Jamus Lim

6 October at 18:06 ·
Two Fridays back, The Workers' Party Youth Wing (WPYW) gathered at Lau Pa Sat, for a satay social. For those of us of a particular vintage, we would likely recall how the Satay Club used to be located by the Padang (if memory serves me correctly, this then moved to Clarke Quay for a period, before the current iterations of a Satay Street at Old Market, accompanied by Satay by the Bay at one corner of Gardens by the Bay).
Change is inevitable, of course. Having been away for a number of years, it never fails to surprise me when a memory of a place from long ago is completely different from what I had imagined it to be; most of us that visit a place from our childhood would probably think it looks much smaller than it loomed in our memories. Sometimes, the place would even be physically transformed beyond recognition. I would never be able to retrace my route to my school in Bishan from my old place in Bedok Reservoir, if not for the road names, because of all the new buildings that have sprouted up along the way since then.
Change, per se, isn’t necessarily good or bad, unless you’re talking about a bad habit or recovery from an illness or injury. In many ways, however, it’s about how we respond to change. In the work we do in public policy, the hope of the #workersparty is to help bring about positive change, to make the existing system—even one that is already working well, by most tokens—more resilient and adapted to current circumstances. That’s why, while we don’t oppose for opposition’s sake, we also don’t believe that we should just accept what we perceive to be an unsatisfactory state of affairs, as they stand. Instead, we look to make good-faith suggestions, even if some only involve marginal changes, to make things better.










 
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