For decades, the nation has been governed by an endless stream of seemingly well-educated, well-mannered politicians. They talk as if they have memorized a script, with every word carefully chosen.
To put it bluntly, they are dull and boring, at least in the eyes of the younger generation, who are always looking for something different.
They act like a mass-produced product, only saying politically advantageous things. They claim to support marriage equality and the phasing-out of nuclear energy — but do they really?
Hardly anyone can tell if their support is genuine or mere lip service.
This is the problem with traditional politicians. A lack of sincerity and frequent policy flip-flops has built up serious mistrust between them and the public.
This is why there is a growing public appetite for someone like Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Ko promised on Wednesday to show self-restraint, after acknowledging that his reference to pension reform protesters who disrupted the Taipei Universiade’s opening ceremony as “bastards” was “impulsive” and a departure from traditional officialdom “that values the virtues of being mild, kindhearted, polite and patient.”
Shortly after calling the protesters “bastards,” Ko engaged in a heated exchange on Facebook with a female netizen, who protested the mayor’s remarks and asked “who is the real bastard?” — to which Ko responded: “You and those anti-pension reform groups.”
The response attracted more than 480,000 likes before the netizen deleted the thread.
Despite the public support shown by the “likes,” Ko has been condemned for using crude language.
One netizen is reportedly pursuing legal action against him over “defamatory remarks.”
Those who have been following Ko, a former National Taiwan University Hospital surgeon, since his mayoral campaign in early 2014 know he is a man with a quick tongue who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Because of his often unfiltered, yet genuine remarks, Ko was undoubtedly the politician who received the most media coverage in the months following the nine-in-one local elections in late 2014.
Genuineness and sincerity are rare among the public, let alone among politicians. These traits allow voters to assess who politicians truly are and whether the values they stand for are worthy of support.
For example, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has long positioned himself as a staunch advocate of the rights of the so-called “comfort women,” but few could know for sure if he truly cares about women’s rights — or is his support merely a result of his Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) resentment toward Japan?
So why would anyone want to strip leaders of their qualities and force them into a box labeled “a traditional politician should be like this?” We should be doing the opposite.
However, a clear distinction should be made between speaking one’s mind and being outrageous. The former is marked by a willingness to give one’s honest opinions regardless of the potential consequences, such as a loss of public support, while the latter is characterized by an attempt to trigger negative reactions.
Former KMT Central Policy Committee director Alex Tsai (蔡正元) and US President Donald Trump probably belong to the second category.
The public’s growing appetite for unconventional politicians has also been demonstrated statistically. A survey released by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation earlier this month showed that nearly 70 percent of respondents thought positively of Ko, a result that the foundation called a true rarity in a nation long dogged by wide political divides.
Hopefully, this statistic will serve as a wake-up call to all the politicians who continue to hide behind masks.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry