Singapore — Singapore Democratic Party’s Bryan Lim highlighted the importance of having a listening ear recently. He said this is especially so if one is an MP, where the focus is on helping to improve the welfare of citizens.
After yesterday’s walkabout, I had to take a Grab car as I needed to rush home to check on my missus who wasn’t feeling…
Posted by Bryan Lim Boon Heng (林文兴) on Monday, 8 February 2021
SDP Treasurer Bryan Lim shared the need to listen to the people on the ground after a chat with a Grab driver on Sunday (Feb 7), who was able to share his worries and concerns about the politics of Singapore.
The driver, Mr Ng, shared his financial woes, highlighting how his father’s wage had remained the same throughout the last 30 years, whilst the cost of living has shot up. His father, who worked as a crane operator, received a monthly wage of S$3,000 at the time and still earns almost the same amount today.
Mr Ng also addressed the misperception that there is no talent in the Opposition camp capable enough to take over. He begged to differ as he felt that the Opposition has attracted many professionals who are equal, if not better, than the incumbents.
Mr Lim said that it is important to listen to members of the public, and chatting with taxi drivers is a way to “learn a lot from their grapevine as well as understand their perspectives on certain issues from the ground”
Mr Lim noted that “It’s the people on the ground who give us the most genuine advice and bona fide feedback. They know best and at times, offer practical and ingenious solutions to the problems.”
He expressed that he has a habit of chatting with taxi drivers he meets, and has even made a speech based on his conversations with them. The speech was made entirely in Hokkien to reach out to the dialect-speaking community and was made in September 2015, for the General Election rally that year.
Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG