After weeks of controversy, EasyCard Corp (悠遊卡) chairman Tai Chi-chuan (戴季全) last night resigned as chairman and board member.
Tai said in a statement that he was sorry for having caused a major controversy that wasted resources, and that he could no longer let matters pertaining to his job hinder city officials’ policy addresses and the Taipei City Council’s budget review.
His announcement came one day after Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said he had asked Tai to resign, adding that Tai would not serve as EasyCard general manager as had been agreed upon.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Tai became the focus of cross-party criticism from city councilors after the corporation issued special charity fund-raiser card sets featuring photographs of a Japanese porn star.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said she thought Tai and Ko had made the right decisions, although “a bit late.”
Ko responded to public expectations, Wu said, adding: “I hope the incident ends right here and the Taipei City Government can get back on track.”
“‘If there is a mistake, correct it,’ Ko-p [a nickname for Ko] has always said. The DPP caucus acknowledges Ko is learning from his mistakes, and we will continue to be his ally and help him recover,” she said.
Taipei City Council Speaker Wu Pi-chu (吳碧珠) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said she did not approve of Ko’s handling of the incident, but the outcome was “acceptable.”
“A subordinate should never let his superior take a bullet for him. With everyone wanting Tai to step down, Ko should have made this decision much earlier,” she said.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from