Typhoon Nari, one of the biggest challenges faced by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) during his tenure thus far, caused yet another stir yesterday when DPP city councilors boycotted the mayor's report on the city's response to the typhoon.
"We oppose letting the mayor take the floor because we are utterly disappointed with the report he's scheduled to deliver," said DPP City Councilor and caucus convener Chiang Kai-shih (江蓋世).
Chiang also asked that the council form a task force to conduct another investigation into the consequences of the disaster and mete out more "reasonable disciplinary measures" against municipal officials found responsible.
Council spokeswoman Wu Pi-chu (
Ma, who had to wait for a stream of DPP city councilors to voice their discontent, delivered the report nearly an hour and a half late.
The mayor said that the city had done its best with relief efforts and has carefully reviewed its performance during and after the disaster.
"We've done what we can, although there's still room for improvement," Ma said. "I'm willing to assume political responsibility and would like to apologize again to the public."
Typhoon Nari, which ravaged the nation from Sept. 16 to 19, killed 94 people, including 27 in Taipei City. It was the heaviest deluge ever recorded in the city's history.
More than 13 percent of the city's area, or 3,770 hectares covering 197 boroughs, experienced serious flooding. Eight of the 69 pumping stations built to control flooding along the city's many kilometers of dikes succumbed to the deluge and failed.
Many underground segments of the MRT system as well as the system's control center located in the basement of the Taipei Main Station were also seriously flooded. Parts of the system still remain out of service, including the heavily damaged control center.
Equipment was so badly damaged that the system is not scheduled to become operational until the middle of December and will not resume automatic operation until March of next year.
Investigations conducted by the city government concluded that 20 municipal officials and staff were negligent and have been disciplined.
While five received reprimands, those who received two demerits are Tu Tien-shun (杜天順), a garbage truck driver with the Bureau of Environmental Protection, and Hsu Wen-jui (徐文瑞), assistant engineer at the Department of Rapid Transit Systems (DORTS).
Those who received one demerit are Richard Chen (陳椿亮), president of the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp; Chang Hsiao-hai (張曉海), a DORTS engineer; and Lin Cheng-yuan (林正源), a driver attached to the Chungshan District Office.
In addition, the directors of the Bureau of Civil Affairs, the Bureau of Environmental Protection, the Bureau of Public Works, and the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp all received reprimands for their departments' failures.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS