Mass Protests in Taipei

Two weeks ago, large protests engulfed Taipei in the rebel province of Taiwan against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and treacherous President William Lai Ching-te. 

This news got surprisingly little coverage in western media, which usually are so keen on showing all kinds of “people’s power” movements when they occur against governments the West doesn’t like.

 

The protests come amid escalating political tensions, as opposition parties – despite controlling Taiwan’s legislature – now face organized recall election campaigns initiated by DPP, in power since 2016. 

A recall election allows voters to remove an elected official before the end of their term. Under Taiwan’s rules, recall campaigners must first collect signatures from 1% of eligible voters to start the process, then 10% to force a vote. 

While government supporters insist that the recall efforts represent legitimate democratic processes, opposition leaders denounce them as politically motivated vendettas aimed at undermining legitimate election outcomes. 

Tariff shocks pose a major threat to Malaysia’s sovereign credit rating, given the potential disruption to economic growth and fiscal consolidation, according to Moody’s Investors Service on Monday. 

The ratings firm see downside risks to their initial projection of 5% growth for Malaysia this year due to exposure to global trade tensions. There’s also a possibility that the government increase spending to counter headwinds from US-imposed levies, said Christian De Guzman, senior vice-president at Moody’s. 

Malaysia has since 2004 enjoyed an A3 rating at Moody’s – the highest among peers in developing Southeast Asia. While its credit score has withstood the fallout from the 2008 global financial crisis and the Covid pandemic, the double blow from US tariffs clouds the country’s prospects.