Wife of Taiwan presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu cancels Singapore trip

SINGAPORE — The wife of Taiwan presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu has decided to cancel her trip to Singapore, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) raised concerns about the likelihood of her campaigning for her husband in the Republic.

Lee Chia-fen had reportedly planned to visit Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore from 25 to 28 November (Monday to Thursday), in order to meet and greet Taiwanese expatriates. For instance, her itinerary included a banquet in Jakarta on Monday.

However, after MFA raised concerns over possible political activities amid the meet-and-greet events in Singapore, which was scheduled for Wednesday, Lee decided to cancel the Singapore leg of her trip and will be staying an additional day in Malaysia.

According to Hong Kong-based Apple Daily, authorities in the Republic had expressed disapproval of any sloganeering and wearing of shirts bearing the Taiwanese flag during the meet-and-greet sessions. Even though the event organisers had attempted to negotiate for a toned-down session, authorities still had reservations.

Han is in the midst of his presidential campaign, representing the pro-China Kuomintang against incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen in the 2020 election, which will be held on 11 January. Lee has represented Han on overseas visits to Vietnam and Japan to garner support and raise funds for the election.

In response to media queries, an MFA spokesperson said, “The government does not permit the conduct of foreign political activities, including campaigning and fund raising, in Singapore. We have consistently maintained the same policy for all parties.

“We expect all residents and visitors to respect and abide by our laws.”

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