Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) on Wednesday said she had apologized to the female doctors she had insinuated were escorts, but would not apologize to former Ministry of Health and Welfare officials who were pictured with them.
Wang on Tuesday posted a photo on Facebook claiming that Minister Without Portfolio and former minister of health and welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), and former deputy minister of health and welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) were accompanied by women at a dinner meeting in August.
Chen and Victor Wang on Tuesday rejected the allegations, saying it was a dinner meeting with medical professionals, where all the women were doctors or dentists.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Cheng Hsin General Hospital Emergency Medicine Department deputy director Valis Tanapima (田知學) on Tuesday said in a Facebook post that she was one of the “pretty women” in the photograph.
On Wednesday, Wang Hung-wei posted an apology to the doctors for making them feel uncomfortable and said she would check whistle-blowers’ information more carefully in the future.
She apologized again in an interview at the legislature on Wednesday, saying that she knew her remarks offended the doctors, as she is also a woman.
However, she said she would not apologize to Chen and Victor Wang, as it is her responsibility to supervise government officials and their business relations.
She said she would continue to strictly supervise government officials, whether in the Taipei City Council or the legislature.
Wang Hung-wei’s resort to secret photography, whispering campaigns and disrespectful remarks to women were not good for society, Chen said.
People with power should be more discreet with their words and behavior, and learn to respect others, he added.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Wednesday urged Wang Hung-wei to apologize to Chen, Victor Wang and the medical professionals.
Wang Hung-wei should refrain from making groundless allegations that would cause discomfort among the public, DPP spokeswoman Han Ying (韓瑩) said.
Her remarks were sheer defamation, without an ounce of truth, rather than supervision-oriented, as she claimed, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) said.
Wang Hung-wei had poor gender awareness and did not realize she had objectified women by inappropriately referring to the doctors as “powder smell” (粉味) calling Chen and Victor Wang “powder smell maniacs” (重粉味), DPP legislative caucus secretary-general Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said.
It is a shame that Wang Hung-wei apologized to the doctors, but chose to ignore that she had made baseless accusations against Chen and Victor Wang, she said.
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