President Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) and Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) were heckled by a local Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) representative over the government’s rescue efforts when they visited the Lushan hot spring area in Jenai Township (仁愛) yesterday.
The area was devastated last weekend by torrential rains and mudslides brought by Typhoon Sinlaku, with several hotels completely destroyed.
Yesterday was the first time both Ma and Liu visited the typhoon-damaged areas.
While Liu was getting ready to speak with locals, Jenai Township representative Chen Hsiu-hui (陳秀惠), wearing her KMT vest with a KMT badge, broke through the crowd, shouting: “Please let me speak! Please let me speak!”
She then grabbed the microphone from Liu’s hands and started dumping complaints on Ma and Liu.
“What you’ve seen is actually just the surface. Have you been inside the disaster area to meet local residents? You [the government] say the dead will be handled first,” she said. “What about the survivors, don’t they need rescuing? Don’t they? This is ridiculous!”
As Ma and Liu stood by passively and seemed at a loss as to how to deal with the situation, KMT Legislator Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉) came to their rescue.
After Chen said: “President Ma, I’m asking you to help, not just to put on a show,” Kung replied: “How is this ‘putting on a show?’ The president comes here to show his concern, how can that be ‘putting on a show?’”
Ma and Liu left as Kung and Chen continued their bickering.
Chen later told reporters that she had the obligation to voice her township people’s concerns because she was elected by them.
“Just because the KMT is the governing party and I am member of the party does not mean I can’t criticize the government,” she said.
Typhoon Sinaku caused losses of NT$17.79 million (US$553,000) to livestock and poultry farmers, NT$85.57 million in the fishery sector and NT$2.52 million in forestry.
The storm also left at least 12 people dead, with eight others still missing, the Central Emergency Operation Center said.
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