Chow Mei-ching (
Frequently photographed in a black shirt and blue jeans with no makeup, Chow has shunned the limelight and insisted on going about her normal life ever since Ma entered politics.
Chow has worked as a lawyer for Mega International Commercial Bank for more than 20 years and seldom accompanied Ma to public functions.
Even after her husband won the presidency on March 22, Chow kept a low-profile and went to work by bus the following Monday.
"Please don't call me the president's wife. I am department director Chow," she told reporters who followed her onto the bus earlier last week, turning on her MP3 player and ignoring their inquiries.
On Tuesday, Chow said in a written statement that she would continue working as the head of the legal department of the government-controlled bank, defending her right to work amid debate over whether she should leave her job following her husband's inauguration on May 20.
"My work involves providing legal advice to the bank and does not include banking management, the company's operations or decision-making," Chow said in the statement. "It's impossible for me to be involved in the transfer of benefits."
Chow said she would consider leaving the bank if her work adversely affects the bank's reputation or its operations, or if her workload poses a negative impact on her duties as first lady.
Some political observers are not convinced, however, saying that by working for a state-run company, she was bound to run into situations where a conflict of interest may arise.
If Chow stays on the job after Ma is sworn in as president, she would be the first president's wife in Taiwan to have a separate career.
Ma's spokesman, Wang Yu-chi (
Married to one of the nation's most popular politicians, Chow has tried hard to avoid publicity and protect her privacy. Often confronted by a barrage of reporters and camera crews waiting in front of her apartment, she quietly goes her way, saying nothing but "thank you" to most questions.
Even when faced with allegations of insider trading and stealing newspapers while studying at Harvard, Chow defended herself only through written statements.
Unlike her public image of the poker-faced, "cool Mrs. Ma," Chow is a lovely approachable person in private, Wang said.
"Mrs. Ma is nothing like what you see on TV. She is friendly and thoughtful, and the campaign staff all like her a lot," he said.
Chen Yi-ling (
Chen recalled that during the campaign tour, Chow memorized all of the staff names on the first day and offered to help them with the luggage or prepare food for lunch and dinner.
"She was easygoing and attentive. I think she is more approachable than Mr. Ma," she said.
Although Chow did not stump for Ma until the final days of election campaign, she showed her support for her husband with her signature gesture: greeting voters by grasping both of their hands and doing a 90-degree bow.
Chen said Chow suffered from lower back pain but insisted on doing the 90-degree bow when greeting voters as a way to express her sincerity. However, some local cable news channels found fault with the gesture, saying Chow lacked sincerity because she did not look at people directly in the eyes when she shook hands with them.
As a lawyer, Chow has helped Ma prepare for debates during the two Taipei mayoral contests and the presidential race.
Ma expressed his gratitude for Chow's help before a mayoral debate when seeking a second term.
"However, sometimes she can be a tough sergeant," Ma said at the time, adding jokingly that "the biggest source of pressure for me is not my opponent, but my wife."
Commenting on Chow's decision to continue working while first lady, Shih Cheng-feng (
"She has ignored the fact that she is no longer an ordinary person. As the first lady, she should sacrifice her rights and focus her efforts on assisting the president," he said.
Women's rights groups agreed that Chow should avoid any potential conflict of interest, but extended their support for Chow to keep working while first lady.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The next minimum wage hike is expected to exceed NT$30,000, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during an award ceremony honoring “model workers,” including migrant workers, at the Presidential Office ahead of Workers’ Day today. Lai said he wished to thank the awardees on behalf of the nation and extend his most sincere respect for their hard work, on which Taiwan’s prosperity has been built. Lai specifically thanked 10 migrant workers selected for the award, saying that although they left their home countries to further their own goals, their efforts have benefited Taiwan as well. The nation’s industrial sector and small businesses lay
Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine, the SS-711 Hai Kun (海鯤, or Narwhal), departed for its 13th sea trial at 7am today, marking its seventh submerged test, with delivery to the navy scheduled for July. The outing also marked its first sea deployment since President William Lai (賴清德) boarded the submarine for an inspection on March 19, drawing a crowd of military enthusiasts who gathered to show support. The submarine this morning departed port accompanied by CSBC Corp’s Endeavor Manta (奮進魔鬼魚號) uncrewed surface vessel and a navy M109 assault boat. Amid public interest in key milestones such as torpedo-launching operations and overnight submerged trials,
RSS