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Su Chi will ¡¥just provide advice¡¦

Su Chi (Ĭ°_), the newly designated secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC)¡¦ promised yesterday to serve only as an adviser to the president and not to go beyond the scope of his authority.

¡§[We will] manage [the council] decently and professionally. This is our expectation,¡¨ Su said when asked for comment.

¡§We will basically help the president gain an understanding of [national security] situations. We will not give instructions to any government branches. We will not do anything similar to recent events because that was unprofessional,¡¨ he said.

Su said he was not pointing fingers at any specific individual but emphasized that he ¡§would not do something that shouldn¡¦t be done,¡¨ an apparent reference to the Papua New Guinea (PNG) fund scandal involving three top officials, including former NSC secretary-general Chiou I-jen (ªô¸q¤¯), who resigned over the case.

Su told reporters that he would refrain from making comments to the press in the future unless authorized by Ma.

He declined to comment on whether he was helping with Ma Ying-jeou¡¦s (°¨­^¤E) inaugural address or whether Ma would deliver a message similar to President Chen Shui-bian¡¦s (³¯¤ô«ó) ¡§four noes.¡¨

Su also refused to comment on reports he had suggested to Ma that Ma allow the current heads of the National Security Bureau (NSB), the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Ministry of Justice¡¦s Investigation Bureau and the Coast Guard Administration to retain their posts.

Su downplayed questions about NSB Director Hsu Hui-yu¡¦s (�?�) role in the Ma administration, saying that ¡§stability¡¨ was the priority right now.

Some KMT legislators have voiced concern about Hsu staying put, including Shuai Hua-ming («Ó¤Æ¥Á) and Tsao Erh-chang (±äº¸©¾). Tsao said Hsu does not have the ¡§strength of character KMT government officials have¡¨ and therefore should step down.

However, KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang (ªL­§¤è), a member of the legislature¡¦s Diplomacy and National Defense Committee, said it was appropriate for Hsu to keep his job because Hsu was familiar with cross-strait affairs.

KMT Legislator Chang Sho-wen (±iºÓ¤å) said the KMT should have the breadth of mind to appoint proper candidates to proper government posts.

Ma¡¦s office released a list of appointees to top security-related posts on Sunday night.

Among the names were National Taiwan University political science professor Kao Lang (°ª®Ô), who will become deputy secretary-general of the Presidential Office, while the deputy secretary-general posts at the council will be filled by Chinese Nationalist Party¡¦s (KMT) Overseas Department director Ho Szu-yin (¦ó«ä¦]) and former deputy minister of national defense Lee Hai-tung (§õ®üªF).

Five people were named advisors to the council: Kao Charng (°ªªø), a director at the Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research, Tsing Hua University professor Chung Chien (Áé°í), Chen Teh-sheng (³¯¼wª@), a researcher at the Institute for International Relations at National Chengchi University, Tsai Horng-ming (½²§»©ú), executive secretary of the Chinese National Federation of Industries, National Taiwan University Philip Yang (·¨¥Ã©ú) and Tamkang University associate professor Chan Man-jung (¸âº¡®e).
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