Chitchat Why Jamus Lim join Workers' Party ?

[jw5]

Jamus' mum warned him not to sit on books.

Jamus Lim​

2d ·
As a child, my mother routinely warned me never to sit on books. The logic, according to her, was that books were an embodiment of knowledge. To sit on them would be to disrespect knowledge itself, an affront to the value and wisdom they carried. Till today, I still won’t sit on a book, or even to treat it carelessly.
As I’ve shared before, both my wife and I make our living through the written and spoken word. For us stout-hearted bibliophiles, we always treat books with a certain degree of reverence. So it was somewhat distressing for us to hear about how a large number of books—previously housed at the Yale-NUS Library—had been unceremoniously discarded on a sidewalk, before they would then be shredded by a recycling service.
One is naturally tempted to interpret the event as symbolic of the clinical manner by which the school, itself, was closed down. Regardless, it still seems, at the very least, like a lost opportunity. Many of the books were, reportedly, in excellent condition, and with some advanced planning and consultation (perhaps with the student body or wider faculty), the books could have found an alternative home, in another library, or even on the bookshelves of alumni. Yet, reportedly, passing students who wanted to take books were stopped from doing so, in the name of a technicality (the books still had RFID tags, although that strikes me as a surmountable problem).
You may say that books are just books; without reading them, they are just ink printed on dead trees. Yet there is something magical about a simple tome. Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner famously described, in the book Freakonomics, how the mere presence of books is associated with a child’s success at school (more than even reading to them), and subsequent studies have corroborated the basic point about scholarly culture and adult literacy and numeracy outcomes (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2018.10.003).
More generally, the whole sorry episode strikes me as yet another instance of how top-down decisions, made without widespread consultation with diverse stakeholders, can lead to undesirable outcomes. That’s why advanced societies do best when they embrace the messiness and uncertainty of democratic processes, because the result, while still unlikely to satisfy everybody, may at least avert the most egregious missteps.
You may read more about the incident here:
https://www.straitstimes.com/.../hundreds-of-books..., or sign the petition YNC alums have set up: https://chng.it/Prc2CZ8pVB.


STRAITSTIMES.COM
Hundreds of Yale-NUS books discarded, sparking concerns among alumni over waste and loss
The incident comes after the final weeks of Yale-NUS College’s existence. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

 

[jw5]

Jamus was out and about over the weekend.

Jamus Lim​

1d ·
Over the weekend, the #Sengkang4 were out and about, fulfilling various duties around #SengkangGRC. One of our stops brought us to #Anchorvale, where we briefly joined @freefoodforall during their morning distribution of food care packs for residents.
Such national and community initiatives complement our existing The WP Community Fund efforts, where our hardworking volunteers distribute food rations to residents on a monthly basis. Since our resources are limited, we try to target households that would otherwise fall through the cracks; those who live in larger-sized HDB units, but for various reasons, would benefit from additional help.
We’re always looking to work with more community partners! On our end, we are able to offer support by way of dedicated volunteers, as well as ground knowledge of what sort of needs would be most applicable for residents in the town. So do reach out if you sense a possible opportunity for collaboration.

 

[jw5]

Jamus takes a group photo.

 

[jw5]

Jamus invites you for a run.

Jamus Lim​

12h ·
Due to unforeseen circumstances (cough, #GE2025, cough), #TeamSengkang did not hold its regular first-Saturday-of-the-month #RiverRun last month. But just like all our other activities in #SengkangGRC, we’re right back at it, and will be doing our #Anchorvale edition tomorrow, meeting at the usual place beside Essen at the CC.
As usual, we will have groups that go for an either a shorter versus longer distance. This round, we’ll even be able to feature a walker’s group! Do come down and join #TeamSengkang, who will be joined by some guests who are trying to familiarize themselves even more with the area, given how our route takes us north…. #SolidSolidTeam

 

[jw5]

Jamus invites you for a durian trip.

Jamus Lim​

3d ·
At the end of next month, #TeamSengkang will head to Johor for a one-day durian tour. The highlight of the trip will be—for durian lovers, at least—all-you-can-eat Musang King durians. But there’ll be lots of other activities, including shopping, shopping, and (you guessed it) more shopping. All to help you maximize the favorable ringgit-dollar exchange rate.
Ticket sales will commence for the #Anchorvale division starting next Monday, and will proceed through the month of June (and the first week of July), until the buses sell out. This is our first #SengkangGRC overseas trip in the new term, so we hope to have many of you join us!

 

[jw5]

Jamus enjoyed his run.

Jamus Lim​

5d ·
We had a larger-than-usual turnout at our monthly #SengkangGRC #RiverRun this evening, perhaps owing to the increased excitement surrounding the recent #GE2025, along with the presence of stars like Harpreet Singh Nehal (who led our walking group) and Alexis Dang (who joined Chua Kheng Wee 蔡庆威 in our 2.4k++ group).
For me, the run was notable for two reasons. It was comforting to be able to catch up with many old friends (as well as welcome new ones), especially after the hustle and bustle of the election period. And our little one actually got off the jogging stroller, and clocked in 2 solid kilometers herself. Her daddy couldn’t be more proud.

 

[jw5]

Jamus reflects on being a dad.

Jamus Lim​

2d ·
On this Father’s Day, I had some time to reflect on what it means to be a dad. I have, of course, been heavily influenced by my own father, but I think ultimately, it comes down to the sort of values we wish to pass on to the next generation, and beyond.
#SengkangGRC #TeamSengkang #FathersDay

 

[jw5]

Jamus passes the mantle.

Jamus Lim​

1d ·
A clever quip that is sometimes made is that “youth is wasted on the young.” The quote—often ascribed to playwright George Bernard Shaw—It’s often used to suggest that the young do not cherish the gifts they have: boundless energy, wide-eyed optimism, and a universe of possible futures that remain to be written. Many young people end up squandering this rich inheritance, with a distinct lack of purpose.
The youth of the The Workers' Party Youth Wing (WPYW), however, are cut from a different cloth. They have given up many a precious night and weekend, and channeled their talent and efforts toward the Party’s larger goal of realizing the vision of a more balanced political landscape in Singapore. I got to experience their dedication up close, as the president of the Young Wing.
From the moment I first took on this role, it was always with the awareness that I was there as a steward: both in the sense that I was there to help these young spirits fulfill their fullest potential, but also with the understanding that I would be there for a season (I am, after all, close to 200 seasons in age).
So it is with pleasure and honor that I pass the mantle of Youth Wing leadership to the next generation (of actual youth). Eileen Chong 蒋佩姗, who is one of the newly-elected #workersparty NCMPs, will be the next president. I have absolute faith that she will guide the group toward wonderful new directions, inject (infect?) the team with mighty fresh energy, and guide them to even loftier heights.

 

[jw5]

Jamus continues house visits.

Jamus Lim​

1d ·
Over the past few weeks, our #TeamSengkang house visits took us to 327B, and 315A-C (with the last not yet done). In the spirit of experimentation, we’re taking a slightly different tack at the start of this new term. Rather than randomizing across different clusters block by block, we’re trying to visit a sequence of blocks within a precinct, under the notion that this might offer us a more holistic view of estate concerns common to a given area. And indeed, we were able to update many residents in the Gardens cluster about the impending repair and restoration (or if you prefer, restoration and rejuvenation, or simply R&R) works that is scheduled to commence late this year.
Beyond estate matters, I was struck by one conversation I had, with a middle-aged couple. They shared about how both of them had recently been displaced from their positions, one after the other. But in addition, they faced a triple whammy when it came to both coping with the shock, as well as securing a new position.
For starters, they were PMETs, who unfortunately did not qualify for unemployment insurance via the jobseeker support scheme (there is a $5,000 monthly income threshold). So it comes down to dipping into savings—and relying on the income stream of the spouse—which became harder when the other also lost their job.
But that wasn’t all. They felt that they were facing significant competition from foreign talent, who were willing to work for comparatively less, especially those hailing from countries where the costs of living and exchange rate worked in their favor. This was then exacerbated by how there were already in their 50s, which meant that they sensed implicit discrimination in even receiving job offers, as employers would cite seemingly secondary reasons for not proceeding with their candidacy (after all, explicit discrimination by age is illegal).
There isn’t any perfect solution for helping our PMETs in a rapidly-changing economic landscape. Redundancy insurance—for all income levels—will certainly help in the short run, as will mandating retrenchment benefits for those that have worked a sufficiently long time in their company. In the longer run, a well-designed redundancy-retraining-reemployment pathway, which channels displaced workers toward new jobs, would help reduce the precarity so many PMETs feel after losing their job. #SengkangGRC