Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Mach Ngoc Tran (麥玉珍) yesterday apologized for hiding cuttings of dragon fruit inside her luggage to plant them at her family home in Vietnam decades ago, which officials said was illegal.
Mach related the story on Wednesday during an event in Taichung’s Fongyuan District (豐原) organized by the Ministry of Agriculture to mark the first batch of red dragon fruit export to Japan.
After lawmakers and agriculture officials said it is illegal to export plants, fruits and seeds without government approval, Mach apologized at a legislative meeting yesterday.
Photo: Ou Su-mei, Taipei Times
“Now I know what I did was wrong, and hope people would not contravene the law like I did,” she said. “That was about 30 years ago. At the time I was not aware of the prohibition and I would not do so now, knowing it is against the law.”
“I have also received messages asking for help, because when migrant workers and new residents come to Taiwan, unaware of the prohibition, they often carry many different items that are seized by customs, which might cause them to be denied entry,” Mach added.
Mach said she was reminded by party colleagues to be more prudent when making public comments.
Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) said at the event that it took eight years of diligent effort by stakeholders to enable the first shipment of red dragon fruit to Japan.
A lot of work was needed to ensure stable and high-quality production to pass Tokyo’s tests, she added.
“Taiwan is known as a ‘fruit kingdom’... My kids love to eat red dragon fruit,” she said.
“It has been a difficult journey of eight years, but we are ready to share the fruit with our Japanese friends. This is an important milestone and it can boost our friendly relations with Japan, a major export market for Taiwanese agricultural products,” she added.
When it was Mach’s turn to speak, she told a story about her taking cuttings of dragon fruit from Taiwan to Vietnam.
“Back in my hometown in Vietnam, my family has a 10-hectare farm for growing coffee, fruits and other produce. In Vietnam, we used to only have white dragon fruit. After coming to Taiwan, I was delighted with the sweet-tasting red dragon fruit,” she said. “So I made cuttings of red dragon fruit cactus and put it inside my luggage when I took a flight back to Vietnam to grow it at my family farm.”
Her remarks immediately drew a backlash as a lot of people in the audience knew it is illegal to export Taiwanese fruits and seeds without government approval.
“The variety could not adapt to conditions in Vietnam, and we could not grow it there,” Mach later said.
“I have found that Taiwanese fruits and vegetables are very tasty, and I always promote them at international events,” she said. “Everyone should help promote it to all parts of the world.”
Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said that Mach might have been joking.
“Or maybe it did happen, but I urge people to know that cultivars and seeds came from the painstaking efforts of our farmers. We must protect our leading edge in fruit production, and must not take Taiwan-produced seeds and cultivars to other countries,” Chen said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) said that the TPP legislator contravened Article 51 of the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act (植物品種及種苗法), which includes a maximum fine of NT$2.5 million (US$76,970).
Mach later on Wednesday apologized, saying that as a new resident of Taiwan, she was not familiar with the law at the time.
“I offer my sincere apology on this matter, and am grateful for people’s understanding and acceptance,” she said. “My intention was to use my own experience to remind people to abide by the regulations.”
Mach became a naturalized citizen after marrying a Taiwanese man in 1994, settling in Changhua County. She later divorced him, citing domestic violence.
She worked as a Vietnamese-language interpreter for local police and government agencies, and later founded associations for new residents from Southeast Asia, China and other countries.
Born in Bien Hoa Province, Vietnam, Mach said her family members are farmers there.
TPP included her in the party’s legislator-at-large list before the Jan. 13 election citing her advocacy for new residents and migrants. She has been serving as a legislator since February.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
ON ALERT: Taiwan’s partners would issue warnings if China attempted to use Interpol to target Taiwanese, and the global body has mechanisms to prevent it, an official said China has stationed two to four people specializing in Taiwan affairs at its embassies in several democratic countries to monitor and harass Taiwanese, actions that the host nations would not tolerate, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, which asked him and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) to report on potential conflicts in the Taiwan Strait and military preparedness. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) expressed concern that Beijing has posted personnel from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office to its
RSS