Jamus Lim: Singaporeans want strong opposition to deny PAP’s clean sweep at GE

Associate Professor Jamus Lim, Member of Parliament for Sengkang GRC, recently shared that residents in Singapore are encouraging the opposition to persist in their efforts and “deny the ruling party a clean sweep.”

In a Facebook post detailing his recent estate walk in Anchorvale, the Workers’ Party MP recounted an encounter with a resident couple who expressed their desire for the opposition to bring balance to Parliament.

According to Assoc Prof Lim, the residents conveyed their belief that Singaporeans already face significant challenges in keeping pace with the demands of city life.

“They felt that it was already so hard to keep up in Singapore, and unfettered power, policies would be pushed through with little opposition, making life even harder for citizens like themselves.”

In his post, Assoc Prof Lim elaborated on the modest aspirations of the political opposition, which seeks to promote better balance in Parliament and policymaking.

He emphasized the necessity not only of maintaining an efficient economy but also of cultivating a compassionate society.

“We believe that this is best achieved when a diversity of viewpoints—including those that place greater stress on worker rights, consumer welfare, and equitable growth—are ultimately needed in a country that is already immensely rich, by any standard. ”

Assoc Prof Lim underscored the importance of robust debate and discussion in the highest echelons of decision-making to ensure the development of sound policies.

Furthermore, he reaffirmed that these principles serve as a driving force for the representatives of the Workers’ Party to continue their dedicated work.

Assoc Prof Lim during GE2020: “What we are trying to deny the PAP is a blank cheque”

The resident’s opinion resonates with Assoc Prof Lim’s earlier emphasis during the General Election 2020, where he underscored the necessity for Parliament to embrace a diversity of voices.

During a GE2020 inter-party political live debate held on 1 July 2020, Assoc Prof Lim observed that the People’s Action Party (PAP) “doesn’t have a monopoly on best ideas on how we should bring the society forward.”

“PAP has argued that this election is really about giving them a mandate, to bring the country out of this crisis and they need this mandate in order to do so.”

“The truth is, PAP, in all likelihood, would have this mandate by the end of this election,” he said.

Assoc Prof Lim said: “I think that what we are trying to deny the PAP isn’t a mandate, what we’re trying to deny PAP is a blank cheque, and that is what I think this election is about.”

He highlighted the importance of fostering debates not only in closed-door settings but also in Parliament, the designated forum for such discussions.

He urged voters to consider whether they believe in the value of hearing all perspectives and engaging in rational debates, emphasizing the essence of a democratic society in the 21st century.

Assoc Prof Lim appealed to voters to make their votes count by supporting the Workers’ Party.

During GE2020, the WP’s Sengkang team, consisting of He Ting Ru, Louis Chua, Jamus Lim, and Raeesah Khan, secured victory in the Sengkang GRC seat with 52.13 per cent of the votes.

They beat the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s Lam Pin Min, Ng Chee Meng, Amrin Amin and Raymond Lye, the latter of which garnered 47.87 per cent of the votes.

A total of 60,136 votes went to the WP while 55,214 went to the PAP in Sengkang GRC.