Following criticism by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) of retired military personnel, a military school alumni association yesterday responded with a statement saying that retired military personnel are engaged in jobs that benefit society, including running “love hotels” that Wu may spend time in, and have remained loyal to their spouses — a thinly veiled reference to Wu’s extramarital affair.
In a discussion on pension reform for civil servants, public school teachers and military personnel, Wu said last week that many retired military officers have other jobs or run their own businesses, and may be collecting retirement pensions while also earning extra money.
He also said that in receiving “double pay,” retired military officers not only make more money in retirement than many other people, but also reduce employment opportunities for younger job seekers.
The remarks have upset some retired military personnel, and the Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School Alumni Association released a statement on its Web site in response.
The school, located in Greater Kaohsiung, is one of the most important officer training academies in the country.
In the undated statement, the association said that its members have served the nation and its people and have started their lives over with a retirement pension from the state, as well as working in other jobs as law-abiding civilians after retirement.
“The jobs that most of us do are economically beneficial to the country and its people, and those who run their own businesses also create employment opportunities,” the statement said. “Those who run love hotels also serve the leisure needs of Legislator Wu ... we have all stayed loyal, and never committed adultery, and it is incomprehensible that Legislator Wu could not understand our situation.”
The statement went on to say that many of its members now regret supporting Wu’s electoral campaigns “in spite of the moral issue,” and have decided to “never vote for untrustworthy politicians to avoid appeasing shameless people.”
The statement apparently refers to Wu’s extramarital affair.
In November 2009, he was reported by the Chinese-language Apple Daily to have stayed at a luxury motel in Taipei with piano teacher Rebecca Sun (孫仲瑜).
Wu immediately admitted that he had an affair with Sun, and apologized to his wife and supporters.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS