The membership rights of National Civil Servant Association honorary chairman Harry Lee (李來希) have been suspended following his controversial comments about New Power Party Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday.
Whether his membership should be revoked or he be expelled would be discussed by the party’s Disciplinary Committee, it said.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Lee accused Wang of exploiting the death of her daughter — a four-year-old nicknamed Xiao Deng Pao (小燈泡, little lightbulb) who was beheaded by Wang Ching-yu (王景玉) on March 28, 2016 — for personal gain.
Photo: Shih Hsiao-kuang, Taipei Times
Wang Ching-yu was convicted of murder and the Supreme Court last month upheld his sentence of life imprisonment.
Lee said that Claire Wang was “stepping on her own daughter’s head” and that she had used the tragedy in her family in exchange for wealth and power.
Lee’s personal attacks against Claire Wang appeared to have been triggered by her support for the recall of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), who is facing a recall vote on June 6.
Photo: Wang Ting-chuan, Taipei Times
In his Facebook post, Lee wrote: “Does [Han] have a feud with her?” alongside a screenshot of a Facebook post Claire Wang had made on Friday last week urging people from Kaohsiung to “go home and vote” next month.
Lee’s comments have been met with widespread condemnation.
The association yesterday distanced itself from Lee, saying his comments had nothing to do with it, did not represent the association or the position held by civil servants as a whole.
Lee retired in July last year and is not a member of the association, it said.
He was appointed honorary chairman after his retirement, it said, adding that whether that title would be revoked is to be discussed by the association’s board.
Wang on Wednesday said her personal loss should not be used as a political tool to create division.
Lee’s comments were malicious, she said, adding that comments such as his had not stopped since her daughter’s death.
As a public figure, she should be subject to oversight and judgement, but they should be based on her performance in the Legislative Yuan, she said.
Han wrote on Facebook that as a person with children, he could not stand Lee’s remarks.
Whether they support or oppose his recall, people should stop such hate remarks and prevent more arguments from occurring, he wrote.
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