The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus yesterday criticized the government’s pledge to see through reforms to the pension system and claimed the government should start by amending its “underhanded employment practices,” pointing to former New Party legislator Hsieh Chi-ta (謝啟大) as an example.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) yesterday reported that the Taipei City Government hired Hsieh in July last year. She was promoted to senior specialist at the city government’s secretariat ahead of her 65th birthday, which is also retirement age, allegedly so that she could get a higher pension, the report said.
TSU caucus whip Lai Chen-chang (賴振昌) said Hsieh has always felt she is Chinese and has accepted positions in China, accusing her of chasing a healthy pension in Taiwan by taking up a government job one year before retiring.
If Hsieh truly wants to do something for Taiwan there are many volunteer jobs she could do, Lai said, adding that serving Taiwan did not equate to having a high governmental position.
TSU deputy caucus whip Yeh Chin-ling (葉津鈴) said that Hsieh and others like her are the reason the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is facing strained finances.
Separately yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) city councilors Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) and Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) questioned whether Hsieh has People’s Republic of China (PRC) nationality after living there for 10 years and said she could be a threat to national security.
The two added that Hsieh has never attended council meetings, does not have to clock in at work and had not been graded according to standards of employment for a civil servant, which contributes to the controversy of her holding a job at the city government.
In response, Taipei City Government Deputy Secretary-General Wu Kuo-an (吳國安) said that city officials above the 13th level are exempt from clocking in, adding that Hsieh’s office hours are handled by the human resources office.
On the matter of Hsieh’s alleged dual nationality, the city government’s human resources office said Hsieh had signed papers guaranteeing that she was not a national of any other country.
Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday described Hsieh’s position in the city government as “well-placed,” rebutting allegations that Hsieh was given the job to allow her to get a higher pension.
Hau said that Hsieh has expertise in law and was appointed to help handle domestic violence cases in the city.
Hsieh said she accepted the appointment based on her belief in serving the public and that she has no plans to retire.
She also denied that she is a PRC national.
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
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
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
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS