President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday awarded former Judicial Yuan president Shih Chi-yang (施啟揚) and former Control Yuan presidents Wang Tso-jung (王作榮) and Chen Lu-an (陳履安) with the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon.
It is customary to award former premiers, legislative speakers and the presidents of the Control Yuan, Judicial Yuan and Examination Yuan with the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon after retirement, but since the finalization of the Constitution of the Republic of China (ROC), Wang, Chen and Shih were the only three administrative heads that had not yet been presented with such an award on stepping down from their positions.
The Presidential Office said that as the Medals Act (勳章條例) did not restrict presidents from awarding medals to administrative chiefs that had retired under previous administrations, Ma had decided to honor the custom and personally award medals to the three former civil servants.
Photo: CNA
The Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon was first given on Feb. 12, 1941, has nine orders, and is usually given to civil servants in recognition of extraordinary contributions made to the nation, or to civilians or foreigners whose actions have greatly contributed to the nation.
The Presidential Office said in accordance with Article 6 of the Medals Act: “Individuals making extraordinary contributions to the nation’s administrative, legislative, judicial, examination or control systems should be awarded the Order of Propitious Clouds or the Order of the Brilliant Star.”
Shih and his wife, Lee Chung-kuei (李鍾桂), attended the ceremony yesterday, and though Shih was unable to speak due to illness, Lee Chung-kuei said that it was one of the happiest days in her husband’s life.
When Ma conferred the award on Shih, the former civil servant held Ma’s hand tightly for a long time, overcome with emotion, but unable to express himself.
“When my husband heard the news, he felt he did not deserve such recognition,” Lee Chung-kuei said.
However, following tradition and to give thanks for the president’s concern they decided to accept the award, she added.
Born in 1936, Shih received his doctorate in law at Germany’s Heidelberg University in 1967.
He was a teacher in National Taiwan University department of law when Ma attended the university, and also served as deputy minister of education, vice premier, chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council and secretary-general of the National Security Council.
Shih was also involved with the committee that investigated the 319 Incident, in which then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and then-vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) were shot at on the eve of the 2004 presidential election.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS