Singaporeans defend Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim after he was called out for watching World Cup on Monday morning

SINGAPORE: On Monday (July 6), a Facebook page published a photo from behind of a man it alleged to be Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (WP MP) Jamus Lim, whom they called out for watching a World Cup match at a bar during working hours.

Commenters, however, stood up for Assoc Prof Lim, saying the post made no sense and that the Sengkang MP had as much right to watch a football game as anyone else.

The page, called Shut down TRS, posted a picture of a man seated at an outdoor table, along with more than a dozen other sports fans.

As the MP’s face cannot be seen, the post also contained two other pictures of Assoc Prof Lim wearing a light brown shirt and carrying a brown leather bag similar to the one the man in the first photo had.

The caption reads: “Really working for Singaporeans? While the majority of us battled the Monday morning rush to work, Workers’ Party’s Jamus Lim was spotted at a CBD bar at 9.30 am on a Monday watching the Mexico vs England match. Must be nice hor?”

What Singaporeans are saying

Facebook users, including national marathoner Soh Rui Yong, were swift in defending Assoc Prof Lim, with some saying that they actually appreciated seeing the MP watching a match, as many other Singaporeans do.

“Absolutely nothing wrong in that!” wrote one, adding a thumbs-up at seeing the MP “watching football like an ordinary Singaporean.”

“Nothing wrong. At least he’s like us, a normal human being, mixing around with us. How many MPs will mix around with us daily?” added another. 

“He is so down to earth, like us everyday men on the street. Unlike some, able to watch in the comfort of an air- conditioned lounge having minions to wait on them,” one chimed in.

A commenter simply wrote, “Eh, he is allowed time off to relax, right?”

“Bruh, I saw him exhausted at Sengkang last month; let him enjoy a bit,” an Instagram user commented.

“He works through weekends and nights at meet the ppl sessions, going door-to-door on house visits. MPs def also work way beyond their work hours at home researching data, etc, prepping speeches and presentations before parliamentary debates. He is on the ground a lot beyond work hours. Let the man watch his matches la,” added another, who went on to ask, “Why is this person so free to hover over others’ lives?”

“MPs cannot rest and watch football in the bar meh? They work outside office hours most of the time too,” a Facebook user wrote.

“The guy who posted this must be a boomer who worked Mon-Fri 9-5 all his life. For the same company,” a netizen quipped.

Some commenters opined that the post reflected its author’s political alignment, with one writing, “Tell me OP is a PAP supporter without telling me.” /TISG

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