Support the KMT!

Taiwan politics should be none of my concern. However, it is where my interest lies in. Most of the papers that I had written for my Political Science and Public Policy modules were on Taiwan politics and how Taiwan can seek survival space in global politics. I am not an advocate of Taiwan independence, but I am a supporter of the status quo in the Taiwan Straits.

Moreover, on a more selfish note, I had a picture taken with Ma Ying-Jeou in 2006, and I hope that the picture will value-add itself if he is elected as the President of the Republic of China later this year. :) In fact, I was elated when I first heard that the KMT landslide victory at the polls for seats at the Legislature Yuan. A hefty 81:27! That's 3 to the power of 4 versus 3 of 3! Splendid!

However, Nobel-laureate and former head of the Academia Sinica (the think tank of Taiwan) Lee Yuan Tseh had just voiced his support for DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh, saying that there is a need to counter KMT's political power in the Legislature Yuan with a DPP president. I am sure that he has his reasons for suggesting that, but it is pointless in having a "lame duck" president who cannot pass a law or policy without a face-off with an omni-powerful opposition party. The ensuing result can either be potential chaos that will threaten to erupt anytime or political crises that will undermine the efficiency of any decent government. A strong president and a strong party on a cooperative platform are instrumental to putting in place successful directives and implementing them. Of course, I am not an enthusiast of autocracy or despotism. However, I believe that the Taiwanese electorate is mature enough to vote the KMT out if the party fails to perform after its 4-year mandate in 2011. In any case, Taiwan cannot afford an unstable government, not even a coalition of sorts. It is sad to see that the former lead wagon of the "Four Asian Tigers" has now taken a back seat.

The Taiwanese people do not display any form of political apathy, and they know exactly what they are doing. The political atmosphere there exudes an attractive kind of vibrancy that is little seen elsewhere in Asia. The KMT has witnessed sweeping changes in the past decade, and it is no longer an icon for "black money". The Taiwanese electorate should allow the revamped party a chance to redeem itself and serve the people once more.

I look forward to visiting my beautiful Formosa later this year. To a blue-governed one that is.