Central Bank governor the most popular Cabinet member: poll

The latest poll on the performance of President Tsai Ing-wen's government in its first 100 days gave her an approval rating of 44.4 percent and found Central Bank Governor Perng Fai-nan (???) to be the most popular member of the Cabinet.

A survey conducted by the Chinese-language magazine Global Views Monthly found that 44.4 percent of respondents were satisfied with the president's performance, while 36.2 percent were dissatisfied.

The figures were higher than the public's rating of former President Ma Ying-jeou in 2008 nearly 100 days after he started his first term, the magazine said.

Tsai received 56.1 percent of the valid votes cast in Taiwan's presidential election in January.

Premier Lin Chuan (??), who runs the Cabinet, had a lower approval rating than the president. Only 39.2 percent of respondents said they found his performance satisfactory, compared with 42.2 percent who did not, the survey results showed.

Among all ministerial-level officials in Lin's Cabinet, the central bank governor was the most popular one, with a satisfaction rating of 86.1 percent. Perng has served in the post since 1998.

Coming in second was Culture Minister Cheng Li-Chiun , with a satisfaction rating of 71.2 percent. Cheng, a former lawmaker of the Democratic Progressive Party, was appointed culture minster by Tsai.

Lee Ying-yuan , head of the Environmental Protection Administration, ranked third, with 63.7 percent of respondents satisfied with his performance, the survey found.

Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan , who assumed his duties on May 20, was the most unpopular Cabinet official, with 66.1 percent of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with his performance and 26.9 percent expressing satisfaction.

His ministry has come under fire for a series of scandals and controversial incidents, including the firing of a missile by mistake that killed a local fisherman and the controversy over National Defense University expelling a student after he tested positive for HIV.

Another unpopular minister was Ho Chen Tan , head of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. About 60 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with his performance, with only 31.6 percent showing satisfaction.

Ho Chen's three months in office have also been dogged by serious incidents, including an explosion at a train station in Taipei that injured 26 and a tour bus fire that killed all 26 people on board.

The telephone survey was carried out Aug. 15-18 and collected 1,025 effective samples. It had a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.

Source: Focus Taiwan