Login
Login

Twu Shiing-jer

{{short description|Taiwanese epidemiologist and politician}}

{{family name hatnote|Twu|lang=Chinese}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Twu Shiing-jer

| native_name = {{nobold|涂醒哲}}

| native_name_lang = zh

| image = ShiingJerTwu醫師袍7 (cropped).JPG

| caption = Official portrait, 2014

| order1 = 7th

| office1 = Mayor of Chiayi

| term_start1 = 25 December 2014

| term_end1 = 25 December 2018

| deputy1 = Hou Chong-wen{{cite web|url=http://www.chiayi.gov.tw/2011web/en/index.aspx?mid=91&rid=90|title=Deputy Mayor-Chiayi City Government|publisher=}}

| predecessor1 = Huang Min-hui

| successor1 = Huang Min-hui

| order2 =

| office2 = Member of the Legislative Yuan

| term_start2 = 1 February 2008

| term_end2 = 31 January 2012

| constituency2 = Party-list

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| office3 = 8th Minister of Health

| term_start3 = 1 September 2002

| term_end3 = 18 May 2003
{{small|Acting: 1 September — 31 December 2002}}

| primeminister3 = Yu Shyi-kun

| predecessor3 = Lee Ming-liang

| successor3 = Chen Chien-jen

| order4 =

| office4 = 1st Chief of Centers for Disease Control

| term_start4 = 29 May 2000

| term_end4 = 30 June 2002

| minister4 = Lee Ming-liang

| predecessor4 = Chang Hung-jen (acting)

| successor4 = Chiang Ying-lung (acting)

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|6|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Puzi, Chiayi County, Taiwan

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic Progressive Party

| spouse =

| education = National Taiwan University (BM, MPH)
University of California, Los Angeles (PhD)

| module =

{{Infobox Chinese

| embed = yes

| child = yes

| title = Twu Shiing-jer

| c = {{linktext|lang=zh|涂|醒|哲}}

| bpmf = ㄊㄨˊ　ㄒㄧㄥˇㄓㄜˊ

| w = T'u2 Hsing3-che2

| p = Tú Xǐngzhé

| tp = Tú Sǐngjhé

| mps = Tú Shǐng-jé

| gr = Twu Shiing-jer

}}

}}

Twu Shiing-jer ({{zh|t=涂醒哲|w=T'u2 Hsing3-che2|p=Tú Xǐngzhé}}; born 17 June 1951) is a Taiwanese epidemiologist, physician, and politician. He was the minister of the Department of Health from 2002 to 2003 and later served in the Legislative Yuan from 2008 to 2012. He was the Mayor of Chiayi City from 25 December 2014 to 25 December 2018.{{cite web|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201411290042.aspx|title=Twu Shiing-jer claims victory in Chiayi mayoral election (update)|publisher=}}

Early life and education

Twu was born in Puzi, Chiayi County, to Tu Bing-rong, a mathematics teacher, and Tu Hou Cai. He has four brothers and sisters. In 1969, Twu graduated from National Chiayi Senior High School.

After high school, Twu graduated from National Taiwan University with a Bachelor of Medicine (B.M.) in 1976 and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in 1978. He completed doctoral studies in the United States, earning his Ph.D. in epidemiology in 1995 from the University of California, Los Angeles, under professors Roger Detels and Sander Greenland.{{cite web|url=http://www.ly.gov.tw/en/03_leg/legIntro.action?lgno=00054&stage=7|title=The Legislative Yuan Republic of China|date=23 July 2013 |publisher=}} His doctoral dissertation was titled, "Does hepatitis B viral infection promote HIV-1 infection and the progression to AIDS?".{{Cite web |title=Does hepatitis B viral infection promote HIV-1 infection and the progression to AIDS? - ProQuest |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/afa4444be2861b34ed97c98d58eed40b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.proquest.com |language=en}}

Health minister

Twu succeeded Lee Ming-liang as minister of the Department of Health on 1 September 2002. Diane Lee publicly accused him of sexually harassing ("ear-licking") a male restauranteur in October 2002, resulting in significant fallout, but Twu refused to resign; it was later revealed that he had been confused for another man. Lee apologized.{{Cite web |date=2002-10-07 |title=Lawmakers demand Lee resign - Taipei Times |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/10/07/0000171033 |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.taipeitimes.com}} However, in the wake of the SARS outbreak in Taiwan, he resigned on 16 May 2003.{{cite news|last1=Ko|first1=Shu-ling|title=Twu Shiing-jer takes over the health department's top job, but not the title|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/08/31/0000166259|accessdate=29 January 2017|date=31 August 2002}}{{cite news|last1=Chang|first1=Yun-ping|title=Yu accepts DOH chief's resignation|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2003/05/17/210874|accessdate=29 January 2017|work=Taipei Times|date=17 May 2003}}

Mayor of Chiayi City

=2009 Chiayi City mayor election=

Twu joined the 2009 Republic of China local elections for the position of Chiayi City mayor. The elections were held on 5 December 2009. He eventually lost to Kuomintang candidate Huang Min-hui.{{cite news|title=Almost the status quo|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2009/12/06/TT-981206-P03-IB.pdf|accessdate=26 March 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=6 December 2009}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center"
colspan="7" width=620px|2009 Chiayi City Mayoralty Election Result
width=35|No.

!width=180| Candidate

!width=120| Party

!width=75| Votes

!width=75| Percentage

!width=49|

1Huang Min-huiKMTstyle="border-left:4px solid #000099;" align="right"|69,962

|align="right"|52.20%

|align="center"|

2Lin Sheng-fen ({{lang|zh|林聖芬}})Independentstyle="border-left:4px solid #000000;" align="right"|2,801

|align="right"|2.09%

|align="center"|

3Twu Shiing-jerDPPstyle="border-left:4px solid #1B9431;" align="right"|61,268

|align="right"|45.71%

|align="center"|

bgcolor=EEEEEE

=2014 Chiayi City mayor election=

Twu won a party primary held in March 2014, and was named the Democratic Progressive Party candidate for the Chiayi City mayoralty.{{cite news|last1=Wang|first1=Chris|title=Former DPP legislator wins Chiayi primary|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/03/19/2003586030|accessdate=26 March 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=19 March 2014}} In September, Twu asked the voters to choose the best person, not the wealthiest, referring to politicians from Kuomintang who were mostly backed by their huge assets and government resources to work with business conglomerates run by wealthy families to control local political factions and influence election outcomes. He ran his campaign under the slogan Bold leadership, Chuluo, heading up for Taiwan ({{zh|labels=no|t=氣魄 諸羅 台灣頭}}).{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/09/08/2003599269|title=INTERVIEW: Vote for best person, not the richest: Twu Shiing-jer|work=Taipei Times|first1=Wei-chieh|last1=Ting|first2=Jason|last2=Pan|date=8 September 2014}} Chiayi was a part of Chuluo County until 1787 when it was renamed.

Twu was elected as the Mayor of Chiayi City after winning the 2014 Chiayi City mayoralty election held on 29 November 2014.{{cite news|last1=Hsu|first1=Stacy|title=2014 ELECTIONS: Shifting tides increase DPP offices in Central Taiwan|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/11/30/2003605655|accessdate=26 March 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=30 November 2014}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center"
colspan="7" width=620px|2014 Chiayi City Mayoralty Election Result
width=35|No.

!width=180| Candidate

!width=120| Party

!width=75| Votes

!width=75| Percentage

!width=49|

1Chen Hsiu-li ({{lang|zh-Hant|陳秀麗}})Independentstyle="border-left:4px solid #000000;" align="right"|633

|align="right"|0.44%

|align="center"|

2Chen Tai-shan ({{lang|zh-Hant|陳泰山}})Independentstyle="border-left:4px solid #000000;" align="right"|786

|align="right"|0.54%

|align="center"|

3Chen Yi-chen ({{lang|zh-Hant|陳以真}})KMTstyle="border-left:4px solid #000099;" align="right"|66,108

|align="right"|45.50%

|align="center"|

4Twu Shiing-jerDPPstyle="border-left:4px solid #1B9431;" align="right"|74,698

|align="right"|51.41%

|align="center"|

5Hsu Wen-chien ({{lang|zh-Hant|許文建}})Independentstyle="border-left:4px solid #000000;" align="right"|330

|align="right"|0.23%

|align="center"|

6Lin Shi-han ({{lang|zh-Hant|林詩涵}})People Democratic Frontstyle="border-left:4px solid #FF0000;" align="right"|2,747

|align="right"|1.89%

|align="center"|

bgcolor=EEEEEE

=2018 Chiayi City mayor election=

class="wikitable collapsible" style="margin:1em auto;"

! colspan="5" width=600|2018 Democratic Progressive Party Chiayi City mayoral primary results

width=80| Candidates

!width=80| Place

!width=80| Result

Twu Shiing-jer

| style="background: #1B9431; text-align:center"| {{color|white|Nominated}}

| style="text-align:center"| Walkover

class="wikitable collapsible" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center"
colspan="6"|2018 Chiayi City mayoral results
width=35| No.

!width=150| Candidate

!width=120| Party

!width=75| Votes

!width=75| Percentage

!width=49|

1Hsiao Shui-li20px Independentstyle="border-left:4px solid #000000;" align="right"|25,572

|align="right"|17.98%

|align="center"|

2Huang Min-hui20px Kuomintangstyle="border-left:4px solid #000099;" align="right"|58,558

|align="right"|41.18%

|align="center"|20px

3Huang Hung Chen Taiwan Ah Chen World Great Person Rich President ({{lang|zh-Hant|黃宏成台灣阿成
世界偉人財神總統}})		20px Independentstyle="border-left:4px solid #000000;" align="right"|1,822

|align="right"|1.28%

|align="center"|

4Twu Shiing-jerDemocratic Progressive Partystyle="border-left:4px solid #1B9413;" align="right"|56,256

|align="right"|39.56%

|align="center"|

bgcolor=EEEEEE

| colspan="3" align="right" | Total voters

colspan="3" align="left" |　212,843
bgcolor=EEEEEE

| colspan="3" align="right" | Valid votes

colspan="3" align="left" |　142,208
bgcolor=EEEEEE

| colspan="3" align="right" | Invalid votes

colspan="3" align="left" |　
bgcolor=EEEEEE

| colspan="3" align="right" | Voter turnout

colspan="3" align="left" |　66.81%

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{commons category}}

  • {{facebook|chiayicity}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1951 births

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the 7th Legislative Yuan

Category:Democratic Progressive Party Members of the Legislative Yuan

Category:Party List Members of the Legislative Yuan

Category:Mayors of Chiayi

Category:Ministers of health and welfare of Taiwan

Category:Taiwanese expatriates in the United States

Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni

Category:National Taiwan University alumni