SINGAPORE: Members of Parliament from the Workers’ Party (WP) regularly accompany residents on trips both in Singapore and overseas, giving everyone a unique chance to bond and enjoy fellowship. However, what was special about a recent trip for WP MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang) to Hokkaido was that his wife and young daughter came along.
It was the first time for the little girl to accompany her father on such a trip, Assoc Prof Lim wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Dec 3).
Along with a group of residents from Buangkok and Anchorvale, the ward Assoc Prof Lim has been representing in Parliament since 2020, he and his family took in the sights and sounds of northern Japan, giving the MP the opportunity to wax enthusiastic about the “charms of travel,” including exposure to “new things and fresh experience.”
He used this to illustrate how people respond to the new experiences that come with being outside the safe confines of one’s tribe, whether one rejects the unfamiliar or embraces the unknown.
“This risk can result in ruin, which is why most of us are unwilling to try. But as drilled into any student of finance, with greater risk comes richer reward. We all differ in our tolerance for risky choices, of course, but the general principle that we can gain much when we decide to wander away from the confines of the familiar is undeniable. And what’s great is that each time we embrace opportunities to take chances, we become more familiar with that sensation, and more willing to push the limits of what we believe is possible,” wrote Assoc Prof Lim, which is a life lesson that goes beyond travel.
He did go on to say that this is why most people love travel, which he called one way to be exposed to new places, foods, and cultures, and added that he was delighted to have had the opportunity to do so with the other residents on the trip.
It appeared that the bonus for him was having his daughter come along for the ride.
“I also had the pleasure of introducing our little one to the group. I believe she endeared (or, at least, inserted) herself to some circles of fellow travelers,” noted the MP, thanking the travelers who patiently accommodated the little girl, as well as the other members of the group for their support.
Assoc Prof Lim added that any profit received from this type of tour goes toward keeping other events in Sengkang free, writing that the residents who join these trips help keep grassroots events accessible. /TISG
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