TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Although his campaign is painting the incident as an act of kindness, Kuomintang (KMT) candidate and Legislator Wayne Chiang (蔣萬安) is being criticized for being slow to react to a fallen elderly woman who was knocked over by a member of the media mob surrounding him.
On Wednesday (Sept. 7), Chiang and his entourage visited the Bailan Market in Taipei City's Da'an District to greet local vegetable vendors. In a video of the incident, Chiang is shaking hands with a person when a photographer gestures for him to look at the pavement, where an elderly woman is lying flat on her back and in obvious distress.
Chiang looks at the woman briefly before turning his back on her to continue campaigning by shaking hands with two vendors. He starts to walk forward, but then turns back to the woman, who by now has a large crowd gathered around her.
Chiang holding fallen woman's hand. (CNA photo)
He stands staring at the woman for about 14 seconds as people tend to her before making a gesture for someone to make a phone call. He stares for another 20 seconds before he looks up after someone grabbed his attention and he then steps forward and kneels at the side of the woman.
After the incident, Chiang's campaign team issued a press release in which it stated that a "grandma" was accidentally knocked to the ground by the crowd. It stated that Chiang "immediately stopped the tour, squatted down, and held the grandma's hand to comfort and care for her, and immediately notified paramedics to come to the scene."
Chiang was cited by UDN as saying that when he talked to the woman, she mentioned that she had pain in the back of her head, but she could still move her hands and feet. Chiang said that the woman was sent to the hospital for an examination. Chiang added that when he has time, he will check in on the woman's condition.
Chiang holding woman's hand as staff member calls for assistance. (CNA photo)
According to FTV News, the woman is 90 years old and was knocked over by either a supporter or a member of the media while she was shopping for vegetables. After she underwent a medical examination, doctors said that her injuries were not serious.
Taipei City Council member Wu Pei-i (吳沛憶) took to Facebook that evening to rebuke Chiang and his team's response to the incident. She claimed that after the woman fell over, Chiang's team shouted "Jiayou" and "You're all on Chiang Wan-an's live broadcast."
Wu asked, "What do you want to Jiayou for?" Wu said that when a person is accidentally knocked over, they should be taken care of, but instead Chiang "used the incident to build momentum. Young Master Wan-an's ability to adapt is amazing."
Chiang accompanies woman to ambulance. (CNA photo)
Netizens criticized Chiang's slow response:
"I can only say that grandma is so innocent that she should be sent to the hospital immediately."
"He really can't understand what she's doing? Does he know what he's doing?"
"The prince from the political dynasty is overwhelmed, showing a lack of adaptability, a greenhouse flower."
"A person's true nature can be seen most clearly during emergencies."
