PUBLISHED ONJuly 15, 2026 9:47 AMBYWong Dao En"No time to watch movies" has been a trending phrase in Singapore recently, and the Workers' Party is now leaning into it.
Acting Minister of Culture, Community and Youth David Neo's quip that ministers have no time to watch movies in Parliament earlier this month quickly gained traction online, spawning memes, jokes and commentary across social media.
In social media posts uploaded on Wednesday (July 15), the opposition party shared a video of their Member of Parliament (MP) Jamus Lim introducing the party's new National Day campaign.
WP's #MakeTimeFor campaign aims to encourage Singaporeans to show what they "make time for", whether it be hobbies and interests or spending time with families and friends.
"No time, no time, no time.. We've all heard that before," Lim told the camera in the video.
"No time for movies? No time for singing? Even no time for football? Look, if we are honest to ourselves, if we really want to make the time, we will find the time," he added.
@thehammertok Show us what you #MakeTimeFor! Send us a 10-15 second clip via our Google Form at tinyurl.com/WPVideo2026 Some examples include: - Hanging out with your Teochew grandparents - A mukbang of your comfort hawker meal (because you’re hungry enough) - Hiking with your pet in Maju Forest - A REAL neighbourhood hidden gem - Your favourite arts & culture spot in SG! The techy stuff: - Aspect Ratio: 9:16 (vertical) (1080 x 1920 pixels) - Format: MPEG-4/.mov (default phone format) - Resolution: If shooting on phone, ensure it is set to capture in HD - Please ensure that all filters (e.g. beautifying, wide angle) are OFF Submissions will be reviewed, selected and incorporated into our social media video, to be released on National Day itself! ❤️🔥 We look forward to seeing your submissions 🤩🫶 #wpsg #MakeTimeFor #singapore #sg61 ♬ original sound - The Workers' Party 🔨
He concluded the video by encouraging viewers to send in a 10 to 15 second clip showing what they make time for via a Google Forms link included in the post's caption.
The party will select a number of submissions to be featured in their upcoming National Day video.
Some examples that the party gave for potential entries include: Spending time with Teochew grandparents, a mukbang of a hawker meal, hiking with a pet in Maju Forest, showcasing a neighbourhood hidden gem, or highlighting arts and culture spots in Singapore.
While the video does not directly reference the Acting Minister, many netizens drew comparisons between Lim's remarks and the Acting Minister's comment made in Parliament.
During a Parliament debate on July 7, the two parties debated about IMDA's decision to screen the Mandarin-dubbed versions of Chinese film Dear You instead of its initial Teochew-language version for commercial release.
When WP MP Kenneth Tiong asked if ministers had watched the Mandarin or Teochew-language versions of the film, Acting Minister Neo quipped that "ministers have no time to watch movies".
While Neo's remarks drew laughs in the House, the exchange came amid a wider, more serious discussion involving Singapore's decades-old restrictions on dialect content, with multiple MPs voicing their opinions on Singapore's bilingual policy.
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daoen.wong@asiaone.com
