Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou has been criticized for his handling of government efforts to save storm victims and help the island's hard-hit south recover.
The criticism of Ma is reminiscent of the hostile reaction to former President George W. Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — criticism that played a major role in turning public opinion against the U.S. leader.
The worst storm to strike the island in over 50 years has claimed more than 500 lives. About 380 of about 600 people living in the mountainous village of Shiao Lin in southern Taiwan are believed to have perished when flash flooding unleashed calamitous mudslides that buried the community on August 9th 2009.
Apparently part of the reason was because he had displayed a lack of tact during the initial rescue efforts.
"They were not fully prepared. If they were, they should have been evacuated much earlier," Ma told an ITN reporter. "They didn't realize how serious the disaster was."
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As usual, the Taiwanese are quick to point fingers. While I sympathise with their loss, I feel that it is not right to blame Ma Ying-jeou for choosing to make some of these decisions. Would any leader have deployed the troops when the typhoon was still raging and there was a severe lack of necessary information?
It is afterall impossible to please everyone. However, Ma has since apologised for his actions.
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