President Ma Ying-jeou says that Taiwan has done a good job fighting corruption. Ma was speaking Friday at an event for law enforcement officials.
Ma said that Taiwan ranked 30th among 168 countries surveyed in the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International in January.
Ma said the ranking is Taiwan’s best ever, though the government can do an even better job. Ma also said that law enforcement officials must have moral courage in enforcing the law and not be swayed by populism. Ma also urged officials to act in line with law and not to abuse their power.
Ma said there is no need to worry about airing dirty laundry in public and that the Singaporean government has set a good example for Taiwan to follow.
“Last night I visited Singapore’s government website to learn more," said Ma.
The website has revealed several major corruption scandals in recent years. For example, they include a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau supervisor, a foreign ministry protocol official, and a professor with the National University of Singapore. I found the revelations admirable, as they show that [Singapore] is engaged in self-inspection.”