As 15th Parliament begins, Jamus Lim pays tribute to his wife

SINGAPORE: The first session of Singapore’s 15th Parliament began on Monday (September 21) after it was opened by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the beginning of the month.

In a Facebook post, Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Jamus Lim (Sengkang) made a sweet shoutout to his wife, the Chilean-American writer Eneida Patricia Alcalde, who was with him during the President’s address on September 5.

“As was the case during the prior term, my better half accompanied me to the event. What’s not often seen is how much sacrifices spouses and partners of MPs have to make, and I’m immensely grateful for how my wife has stepped up at home, and for her continued patience, love, and support for what is often a grueling journey,” he wrote on Monday morning.

Assoc Prof Lim noted in the past that he has had to give up family time with Ms Alcalde and their young daughter.

He has been supportive of his wife in her endeavours, including introducing her book of poetry when it launched in Singapore in July.

“I don’t write much about my better half, in no small part because she is a highly private person, but when she does something that is absolutely worth crowing about, it’s impossible to keep quiet, so I’m deeply proud to share that my amazing wife, Eneida, has released her debut poetry collection, written in the stillness of night right here in Singapore, while our daughter and I slept,” Assoc Prof Lim wrote in a social media post.

The collection, titled “The Wealth We Surrendered,” was published in the United States in May.

Read related: Jamus Lim to introduce wife’s poetry collection at the SG launch on July 19

Assoc Prof Lim’s week in Parliament

On Monday night, the MP spoke for an adjournment motion on his proposals for refining the system of Certificates of Entitlement, which allows individuals to own and operate vehicles in Singapore. His proposal for providing discounts for families with specific needs, such as those with multiple children, elderly relatives, or disabled family members, was rejected by the Government.

Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said that “a needs-based system for the COE sounds attractive, but in practice it is subjective, divisive, and benefits too few.”

In Parliament on Wednesday, Assoc Prof Lim participated in the debate on the President’s address, saying that while the per capita income in Singapore is now over S$100,000, many in the city-state are still dissatisfied. Noting that many of Singapore’s policies are based on efficiency, he said, “The hard truth is that if we want public policy that society can embrace as fair, efficiency alone simply won’t do.”

Referring to President Tharman’s remarks on how growth must be inclusive, he made the case for ensuring that the least advantaged in Singapore live with dignity. /TISG

Read also: Jamus Lim asked for discounts to be given on COE for families with special needs; the Government said no