Trust means confidence or strong belief in a leader's integrity, strength and reliability. By this definition, the results of the poll cited above clearly showed that President Ma was losing public trust in terms of his righteousness and ability to effectively lead the country, even though the Taiwanese generally thought they were enjoying better lives than before and giving credit to Ma for it. No public figure can survive as a successful leader when his people's confidence in him continue declining.

Why is Ma experiencing sagging public confidence? Several events may account for such a phenomenon. The most noteworthy of these is how the public is perceiving the official handling of the corruption charges against former President Chen Shui-bian and his family.

The nationwide controversy resulting from a number of issues concerning the judicial procedure raised by “famous mouths” on TV call-in programs almost daily indeed deserves strict attention. For example, whether the prosecutor-general is fit for the present position as far as the prosecution of the Chen case is concerned when concrete evidence points to his close and complicated relationship with several crime suspects and the fact that he lied more than once publicly has become a serious question. And it baffles many as to why the minister of justice or President Ma so far has not done anything about it.

As pointed out by legal experts, the minister, as the prosecutor-general's immediate boss, has the legal authority to suspend him from handling the Chen case. Without credibility, the prosecutors' office cannot hope to function effectively.

The continuous media attacks on the credentials and caliber of the prosecutors charged with investigating the abusive behavior of the former president have undoubtedly projected an image of weak leadership by Ma. Everyone in Taiwan knows that Ma is a law-abiding person, which used to be his strength, particularly in the wake of a corrupt Chen administration. But, now amid widespread dissatisfaction with the prosecution of former President Chen, his famous dictum, “All things are done according to the law” is perceived as displaying a lack of judgment, positiveness, resolve and a sense of responsibility.

Ma must lose no time in taking action to tackle the criticism leveled against the prosecutor-general before it is too late in order to restore public confidence in him and his administration.