I just came back from a trip to Taiwan yesterday together with my colleagues from the DAP, namely YB Tan Kok Wai and his wife, YB Oscar Ling from Sibu and YB Gan Peck Cheng from Batu Pahat.
As there is presidential and legislative election campaign in Taiwan now, we took the opportunity to visit the election campaign centres of the ruling party Kuomintang and its main opponent, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Although both election campaign centers are managed by their staffs and volunteers, the main difference is that DPP sells various interesting election campaign products which feature its presidential candidate, Tsai Ing-Wen (蔡英文), but nothing is sold in the Kuomintang HQ. I was told that DPP lacks resources, so it has to sell election campaign products to raise campaign fund.
My colleagues and I didn’t manage to trail the three presidential candidates in their election campaign as they travelled to remote parts of Taiwan. Besides, most of the mega rallies were held during weekend and we didn’t have time to stay on.
However, we managed to observe a rally organized by DPP at a parking area on top of a parking complex in Jilong (基隆). I was surprised to see big crowd in the cold and rainy night. I was also surprised to see entertainment like dances being featured in the rally, unlike the political rally organized by the DAP which mainly feature speeches by activists and politicians. The rally in Jilong ended before 10pm, whereas the political ceramah or campaign normally ends at midnight in Malaysia.
I must say the speeches made by speakers in the rally, including Tsai Ing-Wen are not that “juicy” compared to the speeches made in the political rallies organized by opposition parties in Malaysia. This is because the so-called issues or weaknesses that are dug up by the candidates and politicians in Kuomintang and DPP are so little compared to the various political scandals in Malaysia.
The media, especially television channels broadcast various political debates and analysis programmes every night. These TV political talk shows are repeated for a number of times in the TV channels in Taiwan. So we can watch the political debate/argument of both sides as well as political analysis by political commentators everyday. The media are professional and free in their reporting.
As an observer for the elections in Taiwan, I don’t wish to endorse any political party or any presidential candidate. But I must say I truly admire the democratization process and political maturity of the political parties and the citizens of Taiwan. The advancement of Taiwan’s democracy shows that two-coalition or two-party system is good for the people and such system ensures responsibility and accountability of all parties.
I pray and hope such a vibrant democratic system can take form and shape in Malaysia soon, and UBAH can take place in this land …….
昨天我刚从台湾回来， 与我同行的行动党的同僚是陈国伟及夫人、来自诗巫的林财耀及来自峇株巴辖的颜碧珍。
由于台湾目前正举行总统及立委选举，因此我们也趁机访问执政的国民党和其主要对手民进党的竞选中心。
虽然这两个竞选中心都由他们的职员和志工管理，但是这两个竞选中心的最大不同点是，民进党售卖许多印上该党总统候选人蔡英文的各式产品募款，但是国民党的竞选中心却没售卖任何竞选产品。我被告知说这是因为民进党的资源不像国民党那么足够，所以才需那么做。
在台湾那几天，我们没有跟随3位总统候选人的竞选运动，因为这些候选人都到台北以外的地区去进行最后的冲刺。此外，大部份的大型造势活动都在周末进行，我们没有时间留下观选。
在我们离开台湾的前夕，我们出席了民进党在基隆某个停车场高层主办的群众大会。我很惊讶的看到这么多老百姓在下着细雨的寒冷的晚上出席该造势大会。我也很惊讶的看到主办单位也在当晚安排好些舞蹈节目。这跟行动党在竞选期间的群众大会的情况不同，因为我们只安排政治人物和社会活跃份子在大会里演讲。此外，民进党在基隆的造势大会在晚上10点之前便结束了，而我们在马来西亚主办的群众大会往往到半夜12点才结束。
在旁观了民进党的群众大会后，我发现到该大会的演讲者，包括蔡英文的演讲内容跟马来西亚在野党的政治演说会比较起来稍微逊色，因为虽然台湾朝野双方阵营都互挖对方的痛脚，但是台湾政坛的这些“痛脚”与马来西亚的诸多政治丑闻比较起来，也真的是小巫见大巫了。
在台湾，特别是电视台，几乎每晚数个频道都播放政治辩论和分析节目。这些政治谈论节目和新闻节目也每天重复数次，因此台湾的民众每天都可看到双方领袖和分析员的政论。台湾的媒体享有充份的新闻自由。
身为台湾大选的观察者，我不想表态支持任何参选的政党或总统候选人。但是我非常赞赏台湾的民主化进程及台湾政党和民众的政治成熟度。台湾的民主政治演进显示两线制和两党制是最有利于人民的，因为这制度确保所有的政党的必须负责任和具公信力。
我期盼这充满活力的民主能早日在马来西亚体现，更希望马来西亚这国土能真正改朝换代。。。。。
