Taipei Mayor Ma appoints two new bureau directors

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday appointed new directors to the city's Bureau of Cultural Affairs and Bureau of Labor Affairs and a new director of Feitsui Reservoir Administration.

Professor Sebastian Liao (廖咸浩) from National Taiwan University's department of foreign languages and literature will assume the directorship of Taipei Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ma announced, following the resignation of Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) who wishes to return to her vocation as a writer.

"Over the past three years as the director, I was like a goldfish in a goldfish bowl. Being an official is suffocating. I could hardly breathe," Lung said.

Damon Deng (鄧宗德), spokesman for the Cultural Affairs Bureau, said Lung wanted her freedom back.

"She is a writer. She wants her writer's life back because then she will not need to worry about what she says or does," Deng said.

Lung plans to write a book about the city and its cultural policies. She will continue to live in Taipei, according to Deng.

Ma also named Professor Yan Shang-luan (嚴祥鑾) from National Chung Cheng University's department of labor relations as the new director of the Bureau of Labor Affairs, following the resignation of Cheng Tsun-chi (鄭村棋).

The two new directors will be sworn in on Feb. 10, Ma said.

"Professor Liao will not be able to completely take over the director's job immediately because he needs to finish various academic projects first," Ma said.

Liao will formally take full charge of the Cultural Affairs Bureau in April, Ma said.

"In the meantime, Deputy Major Bai Hsiu-hsiung (白秀雄) will temporarily serve as director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau," Ma said.

In addition, Professor Kang Shyh-fang (康世芳) from Tamkang University's department of water resources and environmental engineering, was named to fill the vacant post of director of Feitsui Reservoir Administration, Ma said.