Former New Party legislator Hsieh Chi-ta (謝啟大), whose employment by the Taipei City Government, allegedly to help her meet pension requirements, triggered a controversy, yesterday said she had resigned.
Hsieh made the announcement after Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) reproached her for traveling to China to appear on a Chinese TV talk show where she criticized the recent Sunflower movement protests at the Legislative Yuan and elsewhere in Taiwan.
Her appearance was reported in local media on Wednesday.
Photo: CNA
“I have officially tendered my resignation to Mayor Hau and hereby announce that I will not receive any pension. I will not tolerate media and politicians’ attacks on my integrity,” she told a press conference, which lasted only 30 seconds.
Last week, Taipei City councilors raised questions about the hiring of Hsieh in July last year and her promotion to senior specialist in the city government’s secretariat ahead of her 65th birthday, when she would qualify for a civil service pension because she had 22 years of civil service work before she moved to China for 10 years.
They also criticized her exemption from having to clock in and out, and from being graded according to civil servant employment standards — possible violations of the Civil Service Act (公務員服務法) — and questioned both her involvement in a lawsuit as a volunteer defense attorney and whether she also held People’s Republic of China citizenship.
Neither the Taipei City Government nor Hsieh responded to the questions, although related investigations are still ongoing.
Hsieh yesterday said that she decided to quit because she “cherished [her] reputation and dignity more than a pension.”
During the talk show, Hsieh said: “It is not true that ‘the people’ are always right.”
“Look at the recent occupation of the Legislative Yuan. Was it right? Absolutely not. There was someone behind the scenes using [the Sunflower movement],” she said.
Hau on Wednesday said her remarks were very inappropriate for a civil servant.
The mayor yesterday said Hsieh’s trip to China and appearance on the TV show had not been officially reported or approved.
“I would say this was one of the determining factors in her resignation,” he said.
In related news, former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Chiu Yi’s (邱毅) remarks on a Chinese political talk show during the Sunflower movement’s occupation of the legislature were criticized by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) at a meeting of the legislature’s Interior Committee yesterday.
Tuan questioned the appropriateness of Chiu, who is a board member of state-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油), appearing on a Chinese talk show, where he claimed the Sunflower movement was a plot by the DPP.
Tuan said Chiu had also insulted the Legislative Yuan by referring to it as “a legislative body.”
The Chinese government censors the use of “Legislative Yuan” in connection with Taiwan because it connotes a national-level institution.
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS