Ma on Biking Tour

Ma on Biking Tour
May 17, 2007

KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou kicked off an around-the-island bicycle tour in Erluanbi, the southern tip of Taiwan in Pingtung County on May 11.

Accompanied by other cyclists, Ma made a at Kaohsiung's Veterans General Hospital to visit a lung cancer patient and pledged to fight for the rights of the disabled after listening to the patient describing the difficulties in finding employment.

Ma then paid a visit to the mother of Chuang Chia-jung, the silver medallist in the 2007 Australian Open tennis championships doubles, who was away from home on Mother’s Day.

Ma’s biking tour came under fire from DPP legislative whip Ker Chien-ming, who dubbed it “political show biz” and urged Ma to return to Taipei immediately to put an end to the legislative impasse between the DPP and the KMT.

Echoing the ridicule fired by several DPP lawmakers that Ma is “riding his way to the Presidential Office,” Ker labeled the tour as a complete disregard to the serious issues sitting in the Legislative Yuan.

On the other hand, KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung thought the bicycle tour would help the KMT as it would bring Ma closer to the people. KMT Taichung Mayor Jason Hu said, “The strong reactions from the DPP lawmakers is exactly the reason why Ma should carry on with the tour.”

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