Calling himself "a person who does not play politics," newly-appointed Taipei Deputy Mayor Yeh Chin-chuan (葉金川) said that his highest priority is to fix the loose screws of the city government machine, and that he expects himself to become a helping hand for Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
"I am not the type of person who plays politics and I believe Mayor Ma won't ask me to be involved in it," Yeh said at a ceremony for new appointees last Monday.
LIBERTY TIMES FILE PHOTO
"I'm back here [in the city government] to do things. It is wrong to ask me to get involved in political conflicts," Yeh said.
Yeh has spent most of his career in medical administration, having earned a master's degree in epidemiology from Harvard University. Before serving as the director of the city's Bureau of Health, Yeh was the deputy director-general of the Department of Health from 1991 to 1993. After that, Yeh took became the first president of the Bureau of National Health Insurance, a position which he held from 1994 to 1998 and in which he played an important role in pushing for the National Health Insurance system.
After leaving the city government, where he stayed from 1998 to 2001, Yeh taught at Tzu-Chi University and served concurrently as CEO of the John Tung Foundation, an anti-smoking group, and as director of the Taipei Jen-chi Asylum.
However, winning his reputation as "SARS-fighting hero" might be Yeh's most impressive feat in the minds of Taipei residents.
Yeh impressed many with his bravery during the SARS outbreak last April when he enter the quarantined Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital. Quaranting the hospital was later determined to be a mistake on Ma's part.
Yeh's appearance at the hospital allayed the concerns of medical staff, patients and the frightened public. Under Yeh's command, cross-infections in the hospital were effectively controlled and information that Yeh helped disseminate allowed people to understand more about the disease.
Yeh's valor not only won him respect from the public but also won Ma's trust, considering that Yeh rescued Ma from criticism of his handling of the SARS outbreak.
Working in the medical system over 30 years, Yeh said that he accepted Ma's request to enter the quarantined hospital "within one second." However, whether to accept Ma's appointment as deputy mayor was a decision that took him a week to make.
Yeh said his coming back to the city government did not represent a pursuit of political power, but rather a fulfillment of promises to people who trust him.
"I believe that my performance will be well received by a large number of Taipei residents who care more about education, environmental protection and public health than politics," Yeh said.
"It is not right to keep focusing on politics. What we should do is take care of people's interests," Yeh said.
Jokingly calling himself "politically insensitive," Yeh said he anticipated becoming another helping hand for Ma on issues beyond political ones. He stressed that he would enhance the coordination and integration between departments and bureaus in the city government, which have not functioned as well as Ma had expected.
"I will try my best to serve as a conduit of communication between the city government and the Taipei City Council, helping more bills get passed in the next council session," Yeh said.
Many city councilors strongly opposed the city government appointments of Yeh and another deputy mayor, King Pu-tsung (
However, Lee Hsin (李新), deputy speaker of the Taipei City Council and a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), supported Yeh and King.
"I think Ma's reshuffle this time is an important watershed for securing the pan-blue camp's rule in Taipei," Lee said.
"People who are familiar with municipal management will help Ma perform better in the remaining two years and five months of his term," Lee said.
However, Chou Po-ya (周柏雅), the Democratic Progressive Party's caucus leader in the City Council, expressed skepticism that Yeh could deal with issues of city government as apolitically as he claimed he could.
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