Singapore — Workers’ Party (WP) member Jamus Lim and his winning team in the new Sengkang GRC have been spotted chatting with the residents there to better “understand their needs and concerns”.
His kneeling or squatting, the usual way the WP team has been engaging the public since before the elections on July 10, has been praised by the online community.
The WP team of A/Professor Lim, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Louis Chua and Ms Raeesah Khan won the GRC in what became the biggest upset of the 2020 General Election with 52.13 per cent of the vote against the People’s Action Party team of Mr Ng Chee Meng, Mr Lam Pin Min, Mr Amrin Amin and Mr Raymond Lye.
They also got down to work early. Only a day after the announcement of their victory, on July 12, the group was already spotted in Rivervale Plaza.
A/Prof Lim was seen jotting down notes on his iPad as he chatted with the people there. He confirmed the team members were recording the basic issues faced by residents because they wanted to be responsive to all of the considerations.
“As (WP chief) Pritam suggested, that is our first order of priority — to focus on making sure that this transition occurs in as smooth a fashion as possible,” A/Prof Lim was quoted as saying in a straitstimes.com article.
On Monday (July 21), A/Prof Lim provided an update on their initiatives. “So this week, in addition to our efforts at transitioning the town council, the team took time to meet with residents and walk about various estates.” He visited residents in two coffeeshops in Anchorvale and evaluated the conditions in the area.
A/Prof Lim has also selected two spots where he will be holding Meet-The-People Sessions (MPS): The void decks of Blocks 308A and 330A. “These were chosen due to their ease of access and distribution within Anchorvale,” he noted. A/Prof Lim will be rotating between the two meeting points weekly and confirmed he will continue doing his house visits on weeks he’s further north.
“Although we will not have physical MPS meetings until Phase 2 restrictions are lifted, we have already begun to receive residents’ various appeals and feedback via virtual means,” shared A/Prof Lim, who noted his team was looking forward to the face-to-face sessions.
Attached to his post was a photo of him squatting while talking to a resident. The image elicited numerous comments, noting such a gesture was a sign of “humility and respect”.
The team was also commended for having started on its work quickly and being off to a great start.
https://www.facebook.com/jamusjlim/photos/a.114054826894198/157610699205277/?type=3
/TISG
Read related:
GE2020: WP leading in sample count at new Sengkang GRC against PAP with 53 per cent of votes