Mon, Mar 19, 2007 page3

• Taiwan Quick Take

  • STAFF WRITER WITH AGENCIES
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  ■ Society
  Group denies Nazi links

  A pro-Hitler student group on Saturday denied being a Nazi organization, as it announced the founding of a political party, the National Socialism Party. In a statement released to the cable TV channel TVBS, the National Socialism Association said it has nothing to do with Nazis and does not aim to create fear. The association apologized to the Jewish people and others for the "rumors" that it is linked with Nazis. "It was a misunderstanding. We hope people will not think too much about it," the statement said. It is not clear whether the association will register the new party with the Ministry of Interior, but its establishment has already triggered condemnation from Israel's trade office and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

  ■ Politics

  Hung announces eligibility

  Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday said she is now eligible to register in the by-election for the party's chairman after collecting the required number of signatures from party members in support of her campaign. Hung's competitor, former KMT acting chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), officially registered as a candidate yesterday. Hung called on the party to hold at least 10 debates to help party members make selection, but Wu said that debates are only necessary when they can contribute to party solidarity. The threshold for a KMT member to register as a candidate for chairman is about 33,000, or 3 percent of the party's 1 million members.

  ■ Tourism

  Tourism mission exhibits

  A tourism promotion mission is taking part in travel fairs in Singapore and Malaysia in order to attract tourists to Taiwan. According to a member of the mission, the group, composed of officials from the Taipei City Government, the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and the semi-official Taiwan Visitors Association, will visit Singapore this week, where they will exhibit at a travel fair from March 23 to March 25. To help people in Singapore and Malaysia gain a better understanding of Taiwan's culture, a troupe of performers is also traveling with the group to perform Taiwanese religious rituals at the travel exhibitions. The nation is keen to court international tourists as the government has set a goal of doubling the number of foreign tourist arrivals by next year. Last year, the number of tourists from Singapore to Taiwan grew by 10.8 percent and that from Malaysia climbed 7.1 percent, official statistics showed.

  ■ Health

  Stores sign tobacco pact

  Four major convenience store chains -- FamilyMart, Nikomart, OK, and Hi-Life -- signed a covenant earlier this week, promising that their 4,500 stores throughout the country will strictly abide by the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act (菸害防治法) and not sell cigarettes to youngsters under the age of 18. Under the pact, store cashiers should turn down children who purchase cigarettes on behalf of adults. They must also ask those who seem to be under 18 to produce an ID before selling cigarettes to them. Although another major convenience store chain, 7-Eleven, did not sign the covenant, its top executive indicated that 7-Eleven's 4,000 outlets throughout the country have already been observing the practice. The 1997 Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act bans the sale of cigarettes to anyone under 18.

  ■ Society
  

  Pet food safe, firm says

  A brand of pet food recalled in the US had not been imported to Taiwan, so there was no need for people to panic, Proctor and Gamble Co, the manufacturer, said yesterday. The company's announcement was prompted by the recall of the Menu Foods brand in North America after news that a number of cats and dogs had suffered kidney failure and about 10 had died after eating the tainted food. The recall would cost the company US$26 million to US$34 million, said Paul Henderson, the company's president. Menu Foods said it would post a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall on its Web site (www.menufoods.com/recall).

  ■ Medicine

  Drug treats rare disease

  A new medicine to treat Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) disease -- also called Hunter Syndrome -- will benefit nine patients in Taiwan, said Tsai Chiung-wei (蔡瓊瑋), founder of the Taiwan MPS Association. Tsai said Elaprase is the first product to treat the rare disease caused by an inherited deficiency of a specific enzyme to metabolize MPS in the body, leaving the patient with severe organ damage. MPS II has more patients than other types of MPS disease. Taiwan has 49 people who have MPS II, but only nine of them -- aged from five to 22 -- can be treated with Elaprase. The others are either too young or have brain damage that is too severe to be treated by the medicine. Tsai said Taiwan is the first country in Asia to cover the cost of the medicine through national health insurance. A person with MPS II would have to pay NT$1.6 million (US$48,341) per month if he or she were not covered by health insurance.
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