The results of an opinion poll released yesterday show widespread discontent and a lack of confidence in the ability of the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to resolve recent controversies involving the financial difficulties faced by various social insurance programs and year-end bonuses for retired government employees.
According to the survey conducted by the Taiwan Thinktank on Thursday and Friday, 68 percent of those polled supported the cancellation of the NT$20 billion (US$684 million) allocated annually for year-end bonuses for retired public servants, Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) of the think tank told a press conference.
More than 70 percent — 71.8 percent — of the respondents said the current pension systems favor government employees, military personnel and teachers against 17.9 percent who disagreed, Hsu said.
Additionally, 72.1 percent were concerned that the Labor Pension Fund (LPF) would be bankrupt by the time they came to apply for their pensions.
The survey shows that the LPF controversy has affected people covered by other insurance programs, with 69.5 percent of respondents in the Public Servant Pension Fund, 76.4 percent in the LPF and 69.1 percent in the National Pension Fund saying they were worried about the financial health of their funds.
Most of those polled — 72.6 percent — were not confident about the administration’s ability to save the LPF from bankruptcy, with only 24 percent believing this was possible.
Asked whether Ma has promoted social justice or contributed to an increasing wealth gap since his inauguration, 73.5 percent of respondents opted for the latter.
This could explain why Ma’s approval rating has hit a new low of 19.3 percent, along with a new high for his disapproval rating, 69.8 percent, since the think tank began its monthly survey in March.
“The results seem to give the impression that Taiwan has entered an era of class conflict, with most of Ma’s policies ‘robbing the poor to help the rich’ and his administration unable to respond to people’s grievances against injustice,” said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), who also serves as the president of the pro-independence think tank.
Young people, in particular, felt that their interests have been sacrificed and that they get the short end of the stick, Lin said.
On cross-strait issues, 33.3 percent of respondents were satisfied with former premier Frank Hsieh’s (謝長廷) performance during his landmark visit to China earlier this month, with 26.6 percent dissatisfied. However, 40.1 percent of those polled said they had no opinion.
Reactions toward Taiwan’s closer economic integration with China remained mixed, with 48.6 percent saying Taiwan should not be overdependent on Beijing economically and 36.5 percent saying closer integration would be beneficial.
On further opening of Taiwan’s market to Chinese investment, 41.8 percent of respondents agreed with the policy while 43.6 percent disagreed.
The poll appeared to reflect a stronger Taiwanese identity as 79 percent of those polled said Taiwan and China are different countries and 74.9 percent said they did not support National Health Insurance coverage for Chinese students in Taiwan.
The poll collected 1,103 valid samples and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS