Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Peter Lin (
"This is my personal apology to Mayor Hu and has nothing to do with the DPP," Lin said. "I wanted to tell him in person that I am sorry."
Lin's apology was accepted by Hu during a press conference in Taichung City yesterday afternoon after Hu gave a speech at the Taichung Convention Center.
PHOTO: LIAO YAO-TUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Lin had gone to the center in the hopes of meeting Hu.
When the lawmaker saw Hu, he approached, grabbed Hu's hands, bowed and was planning to kneel down as well. Hu immediately held him up.
Lin then apologized to Hu in front of a group of reporters.
A week ago Tuesday, Lin, a practicing physician, and 11 other doctors, held a joint news conference and released what they claimed were Hu's medical records, in an attempt to thwart Hu's re-election bid by questioning whether he was healthy enough to serve another term.
Lin said he decided to apologize to Hu because of public pressure.
"People believe that I am a bad doctor, a bad person because I did this. But, to me, it has nothing to do with my profession," Lin said.
When asked where the medical record had come from, Lin said, "Somebody mailed it to me. Since it was mailed, I do not know whom it was from."
Hu said that he was surprised by Lin's visit but approved of Lin's contrition.
"I accept his apology. It takes courage to apologize," Hu said.
"I understood that as a DPP member, Lin was under pressure for the election. But the election is done and Taiwanese people should reunite. To reunite, nothing is unforgivable," he said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday that it was inappropriate for anyone to publicize another person's medical records, and she expressed regret for the incident.
Lu, who is now the DPP's acting chairwoman, asked that the party's Central Standing Committee meeting next Wednesday discuss whether Lin should face party discipline.
DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (
DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said the party told its legislative caucus before the start of the election campaign that it was opposed to dirty campaign tactics -- such as releasing medical records -- but that Lin was apparently unaware of the party's stance.
On Tuesday, Lin's license to practice medicine was suspended for one year by the Medical Doctor's Disciplinary committee of the Taichung City Government. The other doctors who took part in the press conference were ordered to attend medical ethics classes. One had his license suspended for one month, while the rest just received warnings.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday that China using armed force against Taiwan could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, allowing the country to mobilize the Japanese armed forces under its security laws. Takaichi made the remarks during a parliamentary session yesterday while responding to a question about whether a "Taiwan contingency" involving a Chinese naval blockade would qualify as a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, according to a report by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun. "If warships are used and other armed actions are involved, I believe this could constitute a survival- threatening
RSS