By William Fang, Special to The China Post
According to the report, Chan, who is currently in charge of the office of Ma Ying-jeou, the KMT presidential candidate, will be entrusted with the important responsibility of serving as a bridge of communication between the party and Ma's campaign headquarters. Huang Yu-cheng, the KMT spokesman, quoted Wu Po-hsiung, the KMT chairman, as having praised Chan's coordination ability.
On the surface, the KMT's move was justified and laudable, not only in terms of compensating for Chan's surprising exclusion from the list of at-large legislative candidates, but also in view of Chan's talent and his long-time friendship with Wu.
Is the KMT appointment really as satisfactory as the party claims? Informed observers would say, "It is not."
First of all, it must be bluntly pointed out that to many Taiwanese, the KMT still projects a negative image more than it offers a positive one. This is because the 100-year-old shop is still perceived as an old-fashioned, bureaucratic organization despite all the efforts its leadership have made in recent years to reform it into a modern, efficient organ. Even more importantly, it carries heavy historical burdens, as past KMT administrations were considered by many native Taiwanese as part of an "alien" rule that treated them and their forefathers unfairly.
As a native Taiwanese from southern Taiwan -- generally regarded as a stronghold of the "pan-green" camp -- and a highly respected medical professional, Chan once served as superintendent of Chi Mei Hospital in Tainan, where President Chen Shui-bian's gunshot wound was treated in 2004, after which he was re-elected by a slim margin. With this unique background, Chan has been considered a big political asset to the Ma campaign, in that he can play the role of an objective, non-partisan, highly popular and educated, native Taiwanese leader in helping Ma overcome ethnic and ideological hurdles. But, alas, most of Chan's merits could be wiped out once he formally becomes a senior KMT official, and his influence in swaying non-KMT voters to Ma's camp, particularly native Taiwanese, would also diminish as a result.
Chan's reputation as a righteous and selfless public figure who is dedicated solely to the promotion of Taiwan's interest will be substantially damaged.
In short, Chan will be seriously questioned over his motive for working with Ma. Further, there is reason to cast grave doubt on Chan's ability to adapt to the KMT's bureaucratic culture, as evidenced by disappointment and criticism voiced by many erstwhile reform-minded KMT leaders.