The credibility of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has dropped back to a key low point, while Minister of the Interior Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源) ranked first in a survey of public opinion on Cabinet members. The survey indicated generally poor approval ratings for the entire government.
Ma’s latest credibility rating of 28.2 percent was the same as in early July and was the lowest on record since he took office in 2008, with 55.8 percent of respondents saying they did not trust him, according to the survey released by Taiwan Indicator Survey Research (TISR) yesterday.
The poll also found that Ma’s approval ratings remained low at 21.3 percent, with 69.6 percent of those polled saying they were not satisfied with Ma’s governance.
Photo: Liao Chen-hui, Taipei Times
The Cabinet, led by Premier Sean Chen (陳冲), frequently described as an “economic Cabinet,” did not fare well in the survey which sought to gauge opinions on 12 Cabinet members.
Lee, an expert on hydraulic engineering, managed to outperform his colleagues, receiving an approval rating of 31.6 percent, compared with an 18.2 percent disapproval rate. Lee was the only one who enjoyed a higher approval rating than disapproval rating.
He was followed by Minister of Transportation and Communication Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) who had an approval rating of 23.2 percent, Council of Labor Affairs Minister Jennifer Wang (王如玄) at 18.1 percent and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) at 15.5 percent.
Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji (陳保基) was the least popular Cabinet member, with an approval rating of just 7.1 percent, while Council for Economic Planning and Development Minister Yiin Chii-ming (尹啟銘) ranked second from bottom with 7.5 percent.
Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-hsiang (施顏祥) had the highest disapproval rating among the Cabinet at 42.2 percent.
The number of approval and disapproval ratings were low because more than 40 percent of respondents said they “had no impression whatsoever” on the 12 ministers’ performance.
A domestically developed “suicide drone,” also known as a loitering munition, would be tested and evaluated in July, and could enter mass production next year, Taiwan’s weapons developer said on Wednesday. The yet-to-be-named drone was among nine drone models unveiled by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) on Tuesday. The drone has been dubbed the “Taiwanese switchblade” by Chinese-language media, due to its similarity to the US-made AeroVironment Switchblade 300, which has been used by Ukraine in counterattacks during Russia’s invasion. It has a range of more than 10km, a flight time of more than 15 minutes, and an electro-optical
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
The Taipei City Government on Wednesday introduced of a series of tourism promotions, including free sightseeing bus tours and hotel discounts, in a bid to boost the number of international visitors. From now until June 30, 10,000 free Taipei Sightseeing Bus tickets are to be made available to travelers who stay in designated hotels for two nights, cruise passengers and European visitors transiting for more than 15 hours, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said. Eligible tourists can ask for the free four-hour unlimited ride bus tickets by presenting their passports at the hotels they stay in or from the
RSS