Yang criticizes DPP for being anti-business

Yang, who broke with the party to campaign as an independent candidate in the year-end elections, singled out DPP administrators in Yunlin County and Kaohsiung City for criticism.

But Yunlin Magistrate Su Chi-fen replied by saying that Yang should “mind his own business.”

Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lee Yung-teh said Yang “does not deserve a comment” from him.

Yang has been critical of the DPP since he decided to mount an independent bid for the mayorship of both the county and city in Kaohsiung. His bid will pitch him against DPP-nominated incumbent Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu.

In his latest diatribe, Yang attacked Su for leading a protest against the Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) in the wake of a pollution incident at its petrochemical plant in Yunlin County's Mailiao.

The Yunlin County government has since reached an agreement with the FPG, which has promised damages of NT$500 million.

“How could a county magistrate lead the protest? ... How could she demand for exorbitant (damages)?” said Yang.

The government should monitor labor safety and take care of its residents, but it should also take care of the interests of enterprises so as to let them “survive,” Yang said.

The government should play the role of coordinator, but what Su did was like “driving Taiwan businesses away,” he said.

The county government's demand that the FPG move its plant from Mailiao by 2020 is forcing the company to “commit suicide,” said Yang.

He then turned his ire towards the Kaohsiung deputy mayor over his condemnation of the Hon Hai Group.

Lee recently claimed Hon Hai was taking advantage of the Kaohsiung government in an investment project in the southern port city.

Yang described the DPP's actions in Yunlin and Kaohsiung as “anti-business behavior.”

He said Taiwan's investment environment is poor and its enterprises have suffered for a long time.

He said it is time for the whole nation to improve the investment environment.

“He had better mind his own business, and it is more important that he returns to the DPP ranks as soon as possible,” said Su in response to Yang's outburst.

Su led protesters from Mailiao to kneel down in front of the Cabinet building in Taipei earlier this month to demand the central government step in to handle the FPG pollution incident, which caused huge losses in agricultural and fishery products in the Mailiao area.

Although the county government has since reached a compensation settlement with the FPG, Mailiao residents have refused to endorse it.

In Kaohsiung City, the deputy mayor's immediate response to Yang's remarks was that he would “respect” his opinions.

But Lee quickly added that “Yang Chiu-hsing does not deserve his comment.”

He said despite his criticism for Hon Hai, the city government will still provide necessary assistance for the company's project.

Mayor Chen has instructed that efforts be stepped up to “assist and communicate” with Hon Hai.

Her campaign office spokesman Chao Tien-lin also said the city government will provide all necessary assistance for Hon Hai.

“We are not anti-business,” he said.

An unnamed high-ranking DPP official was cited by the United Evening News as responding to Yang's remarks by saying, “He can say whatever he wants.”

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