Taiwan Minister Addresses Rat Infestation Concerns

The city is considering how to manage waste, including kitchen waste, with sealed systems. Minister Liu Caiwei criticized the data sources for a widely circulated map of rats in Taipei, stating it was not rigorous and could even use old photos from Kaohsiung. The map's review mechanism was described as ineffective and lacking reference value, becoming a political farce rather than fact-based reporting. He alleged that the government's response to the problem, including a planned rodenticide application, was politically motivated and that the issue was exaggerated. He suggested that the government's actions were a 'self-directed and self-acted' drama. Legislator Liu Cai-wei criticized a widely circulated 'Taipei Rat Map' for its unscientific data sources, noting it allowed old photos and even misattributed images from Kaohsiung. Taipei City Councilor Lin Liang-chun accused Mayor Chiang Wan-an of orchestrating a 'self-directed and self-acted' incident involving rat poisoning, suggesting the mayor's actions were politically motivated and aimed at damaging Chiang's reputation. Liu Ts'ai-wei also criticized a 'Taipei rat map' circulating online, stating its data sources were unreliable and that it was being used for political manipulation rather than factual reporting. Lin claimed that Chiang's office privately instructed the Environmental Protection Bureau to conduct a "poisoning" operation, which was then used to criticize the mayor. The councilor alleged that the mayor's office responded to a report of rats by ordering a poisoning operation, but then criticized the Environmental Protection Bureau for it. Lin also stated that the mayor's office only reacted two hours after Lin's public criticism, suggesting the event was staged.