Taiwan's newly elected Singapore envoy, Antonio Chiang, gave his resignation on Tuesday after he landed in soup over a drunk driving case. The misconduct by the delegate drew severe criticism for the government lately.
Chiang, in a statement, said that he is sorry for causing trouble to the government and he gave his resignation for the same to President Tsai Ing-wen and foreign minister David Lee.
"I don't hanker after power or status, and only wish to serve Taiwan. But I am filled with guilt and self-recrimination for causing trouble to the government even before my posting," said the 72-years-old Singapore representative as reported by the Straits Times.
Last Tuesday, Chiang was caught in an incident involving drunk driving, shortly after he was sworn in as the new Singapore envoy.
Chiang's blood contained 0.27 per cent alcohol concentration which is more than double of the legal limit for driving in Taiwan, reported the Taipei police after his breathalyzer test.
However, prosecutors said that they were not very keen on a case against him and Chiang will be made free off charges if he did not commit the same crime within one year.
The veteran journalist faced a lot of pressure from opposition parties and civic groups as they demanded his resignation after this incident.
According to reports, the president has accepted and "respects" Chiang's decision. Central News Agency reported that Alex Huang, President Tsai's spokesman, said the government would appoint a replacement for him.
Last Saturday, Antonio Chiang also cancelled his flight to Singapore where he was scheduled to take up his post.
Chiang is likely to be fined NT$60,000 (S$2,570). This decision came under criticism from Opposition parties, like Kuomintang and People First Party, as they accuse the government of contradictory principles. They argue that the government is taking the case lightly just because it is committed by a public servant whom President Tsai herself chose and appointed.
