Page 1 of
2 Taiwan's 'Mr Clean' in a dirty
fight By Chin-Huat Wong
KUALA LUMPUR - The news of Ma Ying-jeou's
indictment on corruption charges on February 13
sent shock waves across Taiwan, China and Chinese
communities across the world. The outcome was not
really unexpected since the former Taipei mayor
and Kuomintang (KMT) chairman and now presidential
candidate had been under investigation since last
November.
As the KMT still nominally
accepts the "One China" principle, while the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under President
Chen
Shui-bian has been pushing vigorously its
separationist agenda, including cultural
"de-Sinization", Ma's election is widely expected
to be a key for the improvement of relations
between the communist-ruled mainland and the
democratized Taiwan. That has been called into
question.
The indicted Ma immediately made
good of his promise to resign as the KMT chairman.
But at the same time he declared his intention to
run for the presidency, against his party rival
and parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng.
Not previously known for decisiveness,
Ma's determination to fight on has consolidated
his support within and outside the party for now,
as many see him as the victim of selective
prosecution.
However, until the party's
candidates for the presidency and vice presidency
can show they have broad-based support, the KMT is
in danger of another schism which benefits the
DPP. In 2000, the rivalry of two KMT heavyweights,
Lien Chan and James Soong, paved the way for
Chen's election with only 39% of popular votes.
Mr Clean and a reformer Until
last November, Ma's image as "Mr Clean" was almost
unassailable. Son of a KMT cadre, Ma's life has
been prim and proper and blessed with many open
doors. Soon after completing his doctorate in law
from Harvard, he was recruited as president Chiang
Ching-kuo's personal aide. He moved on to become a
minister under Chiang's successor, Lee Teng-hui.
As justice minister, he earned his
reputation and made many enemies combating "black
gold politics", Taiwan's term for collusion
between politicians, businessmen and mafia bosses.
He went on to frustrate Chen Shui-bian's bid for
re-election as the Taipei mayor in 1998,
incidentally pushing Chen to run for and win the
presidency two years later.
Though also
known for his good looks and athletic stamina,
Ma's largest asset is undoubtedly his
near-dogmatic hold to rules and civility in
Taiwan's notoriously rough and tumble politics.
Such qualities, often attributed to his family
upbringing and legal education, attract middle
class and urban voters but arguably distance him
from others.
Born in Hong Kong, Ma's
mainlander parentage and Chinese outlook have
often come under attack by his political opponents
in Taiwan's ethno-nationalistic politics, deeply
torn between the Pan-Blue (KMT and its splinter
parties) and Pan-Green camp (DPP and its allies)
over the question of Taiwan's de jure
independence and national identity.
Making
no secret of his distaste for political deals in
smoke-filled rooms, he has been dubbed "non-stick
wok" in both complimentary and contemptuous
senses. His relations within his party colleagues
were so poor that when he ran for the party
chairmanship in 2005, the party establishment,
including the retiring chairman, Lien Chan, chose
to side with Wang Jin-pyng, a master of the
Chinese art of guanxi (networking) with
solid support among local party bosses.
Ma
was, however, returned resoundingly with 72%
support, beating Wang in every county, including
the latter's hometown, showing great strength at
the grass-root level. He has since become the
Pan-Blue's great hope of transforming the KMT and
winning back the lost prize of power.
Corruption Charges Ma was
indicted by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office for
allegedly embezzling "special allowances" of
approximately
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
