Since when did it become mutally exclusive?

Was re-reading last week's Sunday Time's article " 'Ah Huay' MP on her Hokkien humour". It talked about MP Lee Bee Wah's use of Hokkien in Parliment that stirred some commotions, just because she used the word "pang sai" (to shit)

But that didn't matter to me. What made me scratch my head was the 3rd last paragraph that reads

" Perhaps, a new 'grasroots' MP in the making?

Thus far, none of the rookies has taken up the mantle of PAP MPs such as the likes of Mr Ong Ah Heng of Nee Soon Central - better known for their EASY CONNECTION with WORKING-CLASS SINGAPOREANS than their TECHNOCRATIC MASTERY of POLICY ISSUES"

I'm puzzled.

Since when did being able to connect with the working class became a mutally exclusive ability with making policies? Shouldn't the ones who make policies, decide the fate of the country, decide how resources should use be able to connect with the masses? If they can't, how are they going to understand the problems, the mindset fully? Is that the reason, backed by the "mee siam" blunder, and the apperent apperance only once every 5 years, that some Singaporeans think that our leaders lack connection with the masses, and not know how the masses think?

How many times have we heard rumours or stories surfacing every now and then, that the "Meet the People session", which was implemented so that MPs could know the situation their constituents are in better, have been "outsourced" to the secretaries or other staffs, as certain MPs are too busy with policy matters?

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Chanced upon this book in the library yesterday, "What the Chinese don't eat". It's a compilation of the column of Xinran, a ex-Chinese broadcaster who moved to UK to teach Chinese Culture, and wrote a column for Guardian. I came across an interesting article. She mentioned that she interviewed some villagers, and ask them their opinion on Democracy (Min Zhu) and Freedom (Zhi You). Their response was "What Pig (Zhu) what Oil (you)? Where can it be bought?"

In the same article, she also mentioned how the villagers mentioned Mao Zedong frequently, on how he's still revered among the villagers, because he's the only leader by far, that truely cared about their plight and implemented policies to help them. It was further manifested at a demonstration against some acquisation of farmland, where the villagers held potraits of Mao screaming " It wouldn't happened if Mao was still around!"
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My mum and aunts would always break into cold sweat when elections are around. They would always wonder if PAP would win enough votes, and blame Singaporeans for not looking pass the oppositions "short-sighted" views. Mind you that most of them are professionals.

I always remembered them telling me, that without the first generation of PAP leaders, they would still be some kampong girls feeding chicken, hoping that one of the eggs would crack so that it can't be sold and be used to supplment their meals. Or our toys would be like those during their time - discarded crab pincers.

They have never complained that the PAP was too strict or didn't develop the arts, while focusing on economic growth. To them, arts has always been around - in the form of wayang and street opera. To them, arts is in a decline now, not growing.

Outsides always like to say that PAP was too heavy handed, that we weren't given enough democracy and freedom then. But if your stomach isn't full, what is democracy and freedom to you?