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Vulgarity helps Yu make a name

The League of Taiwan Women and the Taipei Association for the Promotion of Women's Rights express dissatisfaction yesterday with KMT Legislator Yu Yueh-hsia's recent attack on Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen's personal life. PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

To supporters of KMT Legislator Yu Yueh-hsia (游月霞), she is a down-to-earth and straightforward politician known for her earthy language. But to her opponents, she is a disgrace to the nation's women.

During a question-and-answer session in the legislature on Friday, Yu called Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) a "spinster with psychological problems."

"How do you expect someone who knows nothing about men to take care of such a complicated issue as direct cross-strait links," she said. "I say the premier should find someone who knows more about `linking' to connect the two sides."

Yu Yueh-hsia was questioning Premier Yu Shyi-kun on the government's dillydallying in opening direct links.

She also branded Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), who is also single, as another "spinster with psychological problems."

Amid Yu Shyi-kun's protests and Legislative Yuan Vice Speaker Chiang Ping-kun's (江丙坤) calls for restraint, Yu Yueh-hsia said that her remarks were not defamatory but were actually reserved.

KMT Legislator Yu Yueh-hsia gestures in this Taipei Times file photo.

Although Tsai did not appear upset by Yu Yueh-hsia's comments, the DPP legislative caucus and women's groups were infuriated.

Groups such as the League of Taiwan Women (台灣女人連線) and the Taipei Association for the Promotion of Women's Rights (台北市女性權益促進會) as well as 16 female DPP lawmakers have condemned Yu Yueh-hsia as a disgrace.

"How do you expect someone who knows nothing about men to take care of such a complicated issue as direct cross-strait links."

Yu Yueh-hsia, KMT lawmaker

In addition to asking Yu to apologize to the nation's women, they also threatened to launch a signature drive to send Yu to the legislature's discipline committee if the KMT legislative caucus fails to discipline her as they requested.

Claiming that Yu's controversial remarks have nothing to do with the KMT legislative caucus, KMT legislative whip Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) said that the caucus can do nothing to restrain Yu since the comments reflect her individual style.

Lee, however, called on other colleagues to exercise restraint in questioning government officials.

It was not the first time Yu Yueh-hsia received criticism for her vulgarity. In December 2001, Yu swore at Lin Chuan (林全), then head of the Cabinet's Directorate General of Budget Accounting and Statistics, saying that Lin's children will be "born without an anus."

Some believe that those who do evil during their lifetime are bound to be punished by having offspring born without an anus.

Incensed by her profanity, the DPP legislative caucus asked Yu to apologize to the nation's children born with the birth defect of imperforate anus.

In addition to her tongue, Yu has a fondness for media attention.

Proud of shedding 17kg within six weeks last year, the 153cm-tall Yu showed her abdomen in front of the cameras to demonstrate her 25-inch waist.

She has since gained the weight back.

Yu even posed for Playboy's Chinese-language edition, but with her clothes on. The 43-year-old divorcee said that she will not bare all until she is 60 and when she is no longer a politician.

In the interview with Playboy, Yu said that she used to watch Taiwanese puppet shows followed by Japanese pornographic videos while waiting for her husband, from whom she is now divorced, to come home.

She told Playboy that if asked to join the Cabinet, she would want the defense portfolio because she likes soldiers.

"I feel they're like me -- straightforward and honest," she said.

Yu also drew laughter at a meeting of the KMT in 2001, when she asked party Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) to "get hard."

She was gutsy enough to admit in April 2001 that she had received a NT$60,000 political donation from former legislative speaker Liu Sung-pan (劉松藩) during the 1998 legislative election.

Liu is being investigated over allegations that he took NT$150 million in kickbacks from the president of the Kuangsan Group (廣三集團).

Liu allegedly gave NT$600,000 to 100 legislators during the 1998 legislative election in exchange for their support in the contest for the speakership, which took place in February 1999.

Yu captured the media's attention again last January when the KMT member of 26 years threatened to withdraw from the party when she failed to push through a controversial draft bill in the legislature.

She eventually decided to drop the idea after the party chairman successfully convinced her to stay on.

Despite her straightforward manner, reporters covering the Legislative Yuan were not impressed with Yu's performance in the past legislative session, ranking her as the legislature's second worst-performing lawmaker in a poll released last September.

The reporters told the pollsters that their least-favorite lawmakers were those who use vulgar language, like to grandstand, get involved in extra-marital affairs and violate conflict-of-interest rules.

The straight-talking Yu, however, is popular at the grassroots level. Representing Chunghua County, she won the most votes in the Dec. 1 legislative elections in 2001.

Prior to that, she served as a two-term councilor at the Taiwan Provincial Council.

Describing Yu as straightforward and congenial, Shih Koon-sung (施焜松), Yu's office manager, said that Yu is too preoccupied with her two jobs to develop a romantic relationship.

"The report in Next magazine is absolutely not true because she'll never go out with someone who is more than 10 years her junior," Shih said, adding that Yu has no plans to get back together with her ex-husband, former PFP lawmaker Chen Chao-jung (陳朝容).

In addition to being a full-time lawmaker, Yu owns a skin and body beautification center in Shanghai.
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