Jamus Lim Flaunts His Acting Chops Playing "Contractor Lim" Character In Video Introducing Paint

When it comes to explaining public policies, most politicians go for serious speeches and maybe fancy infographics.

But for Worker’s Party's (WP) Jamus Lim, he decided to become “Contractor Lim” instead for a video to introduce a new cool paint initiative in Sengkang.

Instead of sounding like an economics professor from ESSEC Business School or Parliament, the 49-year-old  fully committed to his character. He was even decked out in a neon-coloured vest while speaking in an Singlish, or some would say, uncle accent, sounding nothing like the Jamus people have come to know.

“Hello, hello? This one, on? Good ah? I start ah? My name? Contractor Lim, Lim Kopi,” said Jamus, sorry, we mean, Contractor Lim.

“This cluster ah, wah lao, very atas one. And then Sengkang Town Council say they introduced this new paint, “cool paint”,” he went on.

In the clip, he explained that the “cool paint” coating is designed to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat, which studies suggest can reduce ambient temperatures by up to 2°C.

He then “wayang wayang” (at least, according to him), and tried painting parts of a wall.

“Not only does it lower the temperature, at the same time, save you money,” explained Contractor Lim. 

But it wasn’t long before Jamus code-switched back to his usual way of speaking, sharing more about the paint's anti-algae and heat reflective properties.

According to him, it will be introduced to Anchorvale Gardens first, before expanding to 15 more Sengkang precincts undergoing Repair and Redecoration (R&R) works this year.

It seems viewers quickly became less focused on the paint… and more fascinated by Jamus’s delivery.

“This cannot be real. Why does he sound like AI trying to imitate a contractor?” read an amused comment.

“Did he just unlock his Ch 8 contractor arc?” another joked.

As with the Internet, not everyone was impressed.

Some felt the exaggerated Singlish-speaking character came across as performative, while a handful questioned whether the accent unintentionally sounded like it was mocking blue-collar Singaporeans.

Some netizens were also concerned about whether the paint actually works.

This isn't the first time Singapore has rolled out cooling paint technology in neighbourhoods.

In 2021, the government piloted “cool coatings” at HDB blocks in Tampines, where special paint designed to reflect solar heat was applied to rooftops, walls, and pavements as part of efforts to reduce the Urban Heat Island effect.

The trial was led by agencies including the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and the National Environment Agency (NEA), with findings showing surface temperatures on treated walls could be reduced significantly under direct sunlight.

But to be fair, none of these had an introduction as memorable as this.

Photos: Jamus Jerome Lim/TikTok