A brief moment of kindness between Singapore MPs drew attention in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 6), when People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Diana Pang handed a tissue to Workers’ Party (WP) MP Jamus Lim after noticing him repeatedly sniffing during his speech.
Lim, who represents Sengkang GRC, was wearing a mask when Parliament began its sitting at 10.30am. He later rose to speak during debate on the Finance (Income Taxes) Bill.
As Lim delivered his remarks, he appeared to be feeling unwell and paused several times to sniffle and wipe his nose.
About eight minutes into his speech, Pang walked over and discreetly handed him a tissue.
Lim smiled, thanked her and quickly used the tissue before continuing with his address.
Lim Was Speaking on International Tax Rules
The light-hearted moment took place during a substantive parliamentary debate on changes to Singapore’s tax framework.
Lim was addressing the international aspects of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project, a global initiative aimed at tackling tax avoidance by multinational companies.
He also discussed proposed revisions to the Multinational Enterprise (Minimum Tax) Act 2024.
According to Parliament’s records, Lim remains the Workers’ Party MP for Sengkang GRC, while Pang represents Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC for the PAP.
‘It’s the Haze, Sir’
After receiving the tissue, Lim appeared to make light of his condition.
Addressing Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, he said: “It’s the haze, sir. I apologise.”
He then smiled and continued his speech.
The exchange offered a brief break from the normally formal proceedings of Parliament, with the gesture crossing the political divide between the ruling PAP and opposition WP.
Pang’s own speech on the Finance (Income Taxes) Bill came later in the sitting. She raised questions about enhanced tax deductions for qualifying artificial intelligence expenditure, including whether businesses developing and implementing AI systems internally would be eligible for the support.
A Rarely Seen Moment Across Party Lines
The exchange was reminiscent of another recent moment of political cordiality.
During Singapore’s National Day Parade in August 2026, PAP MP Tin Pei Ling shared a wefie with Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh and WP chair Sylvia Lim.
That photograph also attracted attention online, with some members of the public commenting on the display of goodwill between politicians from opposing parties.
While such moments do not change the political differences between the parties, they offer a glimpse of the more informal interactions that can take place among MPs outside the focus of parliamentary debate.
For Lim, however, the immediate task was to get through his speech.
Despite appearing under the weather, he continued with his remarks on Singapore’s tax legislation after the brief interruption, while Pang returned to her seat.
The small exchange quickly became one of the more human moments from Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting — a simple gesture of consideration amid a day of detailed debate over taxes, businesses and Singapore’s economic policies.
