Have You Had To Speak To A Cardboard MP?

Sorry, auntie, this cannot use for medishield life premium

"Before I joined the grassroots organisation, I never knew there were poor people in developed countries." — MP Michael Palmer (2006)

That one quip summed it up nicely for the quality of the slate of candidates born after 1965, specially the batch cherry picked for GE 2006. The 'post-65' group of first-term MPs went on to make fools of themselves by launching a group blog and dancing hip-hop at the Chingay Parade. But none (thus far) fell from grace so dramatically as Michael Palmer did, all the way down from the giddy heights of Speaker Of The House. Some theologians are saying an apple did not bring about the fall of Adam, it was a fig. For Mike the fruit, his weakness was the succulent flesh of mango.

For Tan Chuan-Jin, his choice of poison is not even edible. It is doubtful cardboard will bring down an ex-brigadier general, it's just another demonstration of their utter disconnect with the ground. The tactless post that is riling netizens at an inopportune time - election fever is on - goes like this:
"The normal perception that all cardboard collectors are people who are unable to take care of themselves financially is not really true.... Some prefer to earn extra monies, treat it as a form of exercise and activity rather than being cooped up at home."

One of the milder feedback - sans colourful expletives that a horrible person deserves - about the inane social observation reads like this:
"TCJ, we have got to say, you are living in denial with ostrich mindset. No one would do this for exercise. If you have nothing important to say, suggest you just shut up and collect your salary. TYVM."

Tan responded to the constructive criticism by stubbornly insisting on his ways, “That’s what we should do, right? Find out about people? Hey, I’m trying!” Hey, how about trying at your own expense? A million dollars is a hell of a lot of money to pay for on-the-job-training!