Ex-Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin says he ‘had forgotten’ about 30-day period to reactivate Instagram account
Former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin felt “a sense of loss” after he “accidentally deleted” his Instagram account, he said in a LinkedIn post on 19 Feb, describing the move as “significant”.
After the post was questioned by national athlete Soh Rui Yong, Mr Tan later clarified that he “had forgotten” about the 30-day grace period where one could reactivate a deleted Instagram account.
Source: Chuan-Jin Tan on LinkedIn
Tan Chuan-Jin says Instagram had been dormant since resigning
In his initial post, Mr Tan said his Instagram and Facebook accounts had been dormant since he resigned as Speaker and a People’s Action Party (PAP) member in July 2023.
“There was no longer a need for a public platform,” he noted, adding that he had “already moved on in some ways”.
His LinkedIn, however, would remain active as he still needs to remain connected professionally.
Instagram account was used for “connection’, says Tan Chuan-Jin
However, losing his Instagram account felt “significant”, Mr Tan said, as it “wasn’t just a page” but almost 12 years of his life.
He had run his social media platforms himself, using them not just for communication, but “connection”, he added.
Source: Tan Chuan-Jin on Facebook
He then listed out what the account was used for: “conversations, disagreements, encouragement, banter, runs, fund-raising efforts, and celebrating so many everyday heroes”, as well as bo liao “whimsical nonsense”.
He thus admitted to “a sense of loss”, explaining:
Those interactions shaped how I thought, how I listened, and how I made decisions, big and small. It made me a better public servant, and I hope, a better person; though I remain deeply flawed.
Tan Chuan-Jin muses over transience
The demise of his Instagram account is also a “quiet reminder” that “not everything is meant to be kept”, as things we build and treasure do not stay, Mr Tan said.
Perhaps musing about the transience of his political career, he noted that people hold on to little, but memories are “for a lifetime”, adding:
