Before Typhoon Bilis made landfall in Taiwan late Tuesday afternoon, KMT legislator Jao Yung-ching's (
"I am the head of the voluntary fire brigade in Taipei County, and I must fly now," Jao said after an interview with the Taipei Times.
Jao's family are long-standing members of the KMT and are known for their activity in Taipei County, so his position as head of the volunteer group came as no surprise.
Jao found himself in the media spotlight recently after defying his party's orders not to join a cross-party task force on cross-strait issues -- an advisory body to the president -- which is scheduled to convene next week.
KMT secretary-general Lin Feng-cheng (林豐正) lobbied Jao's father, Jao Chang-chiang (趙長江), a former National Assembly deputy as well as a veteran KMT member, to try to dissuade his son.
KMT deputy secretary-general Shao Yu-ming (
But neither pressure from his father nor the warning from his party has changed Jao's mind.
"I will confine discussions to the matter at hand. I consider it right to join the task force and I won't make compromises due to my party's interest," Jao said.
Jao explained why he insisted on joining the task force, which President Chen Shui-bian (
"While the existing National Unification Council [NUC] is there only to assuage China's fear and to satisfy others' reveries about Taiwan's `reunification' with China, the new task force is where substantial discussion over cross-strait issues will take place," Jao said.
The task force -- composed of six scholars, four business leaders, six professionals, seven representatives from political parties, as well as two KMT members who joined in a personal capacity -- has as its mission to form a new consensus on cross-strait policies, Jao said.
A Daring KMT Lawmaker
But this is not the first time Jao has cast aside the shackles of his party.
"There have been at least 10 instances since I was elected into the Legislative Yuan in 1992 that I have opposed certain policies that the KMT supported," Jao admitted.
Jao's colleagues from other parties as well as his assistants agreed.
"He dares to challenge the status quo within the KMT. In some ways, he is like a DPP member within the KMT," said Fan Sun-lu (
"A majority of the lawmakers that we've sought alliances with are from the DPP," said Shih Pei-pei (
In fact, Jao was the only legislator that voted against the KMT-proposed version of a bill that would reduce weekly working hours during the last legislative session.
Furthermore, Jao's long-standing opposition to the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Kungliao township, Taipei County, has also drawn severe criticism from his party, which has staunchly supported the project.
Jao's persistence in his opinions has yielded both positive and negative repercussions.
On the one hand, Jao has transformed himself successfully into a second-generation KMT political figure who dares to hold original views, thus winning popular support among his constituents as well as respect from his colleagues in the legislature, insiders say.
"He is one of these rare species in the Legislative Yuan who are serious about their jobs as lawmakers and thus deserves a lot of respect," Fan said, who has worked with Jao over the last four years on various issue areas such as environmental safety.
Jao also came in first in Taipei County constituencies during the 1998 election.
Solitary Bird
However, Jao's noteworthy conduct and independent character has made him a "lonely bird" (
"He has been isolated and marginalized in the KMT camp," Lai said.
While Jao, as a senior KMT legislator, should have reached a high rung on the political ladder within the KMT, the reality was to the contrary, Lai said.
"He has been severely shut out by his KMT colleagues, because many simply saw Jao as someone who did not obey the will of the party and who only cared about showing off by being different," Lai said.
Jao himself admits the constraints he faces within the KMT.
"I have been thinking about leaving the KMT for a long time, because I find myself out of tune with the party," Jao said.
But it is his father, a veteran KMT member who preached to his son about the importance of party loyalty, that has kept him in the KMT, Jao admitted.
A Life Threatened
But Jao's predicament within the KMT is only one of the many frustrations he has faced.
It was the verbal threat from a controversial independent lawmaker that he would hire killers to murder Jao in 1996 that has become the most unforgettable episode in his career as a lawmaker, Jao said.
Upset by Jao's support for several anti-corruption bills, independent lawmaker Lo Fu-chu (
"He said unless I stopped pushing for the passage of these bills, I would be killed very soon," Jao said.
Environment-friendly Practices
Calling himself a "lover of Mother Nature," Jao started to carry an "environment-friendly bag" some six years ago in which he keeps his own cups and kitchen utensils.
"I feel quite at ease carrying these things with me, and perhaps this habit of mine will encourage some of my colleagues to follow suit," Jao said.
Even his outfit looks unique in the legislature. While a majority of his male colleagues find coats and ties are mandatory, Jao isn't so stuffy. His trademark outfit is a red uniform from the Taipei County voluntary fire brigade.
"Wearing that red jacket makes me look spirited," Jao said before leaving for Taipei County amid typhoon-related torrential rains.
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