Many vividly remember Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yeh Ching-chuan’s emotional “I love Taiwan” outburst after he was heckled by overseas Taiwanese students in Geneva in May over the nation’s dubious status at the World Health Assembly.
“Think about it, everyone. Who was it then [during the SARS outbreak in 2003] that risked his life to protect the people in Taiwan? Who could love Taiwan more if that isn’t perceived as an act of love for Taiwan?” a tearful Yeh told a press conference at the time, alluding to the shining “anti-SARS hero” name plate bestowed upon him by then-Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou in 2003 following the SARS outbreak.