Sun, Dec 26, 1999 page2

• Mayor dogged by criticisms of his leadership style

  TAIPEI GOVERNMENT A year after his election as mayor of Taipei, Ma Ying-jeou defends his `soft' management style from critics who claim his smiles and approachability have made subordinates lackadaisical

  • By Monique Chu / STAFF REPORTER
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  When Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) defeated DPP incumbent Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in last December's mayoral election in Taipei, John Gittings wrote in the Guardian Weekly that "Ma, the smiling new face of a restyled `moderate' KMT ... seized the high-profile mayoralty of the capital of Taiwan."

  One year after Ma took office, however, critics say the squeaky-clean and moderate image that boosted his popularity at the elections has given way to the perception that he has led the municipal government in a "soft" manner -- a style which they claim is detrimental to the bureaucratic machine.

  Wu Yen-tsun (吳煙村), a public administration specialist at National Chengchi University, says that Ma's image is the result of the mayor's easy-going style.

  

  Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou encourages city bureaucrats to `constantly excel' at a ceremony marking the mayor's first year in office.

  PHOTO: CHU YO-PING, LIBERTY TIMES

  "People get the distinct impression Ma is very mild and easy to talk to. So some of his subordinates can become lackadaisical, giving only forty to 50 percent effort to their jobs."

  Kuo Ching-chung (郭慶鐘), a veteran taxi driver in Taipei, said since Ma stepped into office last December, traffic police have become increasingly negligent of their duties to crack down on traffic violators.

  "Many passengers say they feel the same way. Unlike Chen, who was recognized as a hardball mayor, Ma is agreeable and soft, so police have become lazier since he became mayor," Kuo said.

  During the city council's current session, even KMT councilors have questioned Ma's leadership style. Councilor Chen Hui-min (陳惠敏) said while Ma did not have to worry about his image, his management style is problematic.

  "Ma has adopted what he calls a `more human approach', so, for example, he never reprimands his subordinates in public," Chen said.

  But Chen said such an approach is not going to work, considering the sheer size of the city government, which comprises more than 80,000 employees.

  "To ensure the efficiency of the bureaucratic machine, a feasible mechanism to manage and assess civil servants' performance should be implemented," he said.

  Opposition city councilors also attacked Ma's leadership style as "ineffective."

  New Party city councilor Li Hsin (李新), joked that Ma was "like a Santa Claus."

  "Even when he's angry, not many of his subordinates take him seriously," Li said.

  Critics attributed the problems in Ma's leadership style to two major factors: his upbringing in a strict and traditional family environment that emphasized upholding the semblance of harmony; and his political career in the establishment, either within the KMT or the central government, and confined to policy making instead of policy implementation.

  DPP city councilor Duan Yi-kang (段宜康) said Ma's family education molded him into a "cultivated" man, not accustomed to opposing others' opinions face to face, nor to creating direct confrontation.

  "I was also brought up as a second generation mainlander, so I really understand the common essence of what a mainlander family education has to offer. That is, you must learn to be polite," he said.

  With a PhD in law from Harvard, Ma's political career began in 1981 as late president Chiang Ching-kuo's (蔣經國) English secretary. He then moved on to hold the post of KMT deputy secretary-general, deputy chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council and justice minister.

  The only blot on his resume was his abrupt departure from the justice ministry in 1996, following his efforts to combat corruption and vote-buying.

  It is generally believed that Ma's removal from the post was because his moves against organized crime and graft, though winning popular support, had made him numerous enemies in the KMT establishment.

  "As justice minister, Ma could easily act as a hero to declare war against lawless people including KMT members. But working as a mayor to head an administrative body is a different task," Li said.

  "To ensure policy implementation, Ma not only has to ensure that his immediate subordinates can carry out their undertakings, but also has to turn around and make sure grassroots civil servants can do their job."

  For his part, Ma says his "human approach" in leading the city government will gradually result in "competent management" of city affairs, now that he has led the municipal government for one year.

  "So far, there has been criticism that the city government's reaction to emergencies has not been quick enough. But one year after taking office, I believe we have grasped how this neurotic system [of the city government] operates," Ma said.

  "Now we are gradually learning how to press the right buttons to get the response we want," he added.

  When asked if he would follow the footsteps of his predecessor Chen by visiting City Hall's shopping center to check if his subordinates are sneaking around during working hours, Ma shook his head.

  "The problem is not so serious. People who shop there during working hours are those from outside City Hall," Ma claimed.

  But Ma, who has already announced his plan to run for re-election in 2002, admitted he still has a lot to learn when it comes to mastering policy implementation.

  "I've spent 17 to 18 years at the central government level, involved in the policymaking process. Now it's time to learn how to carry out policies," he said.

  Speaking from his own experience, King Pu-tsung (金溥聰), director of the city's information department, said Ma's style was not as "soft" as it was being presented by others.

  "He is not used to reprimanding his subordinates in public. But behind closed doors, he's not always smiling and friendly," King said.
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