By Xinqi Su
Ban Shu Dan quit his job, strapped on a backpack and went live online as he walked the length of Taiwan — all to promote election hopeful Ko Wen-je in his long-shot bid for presidency.
The superfan TikTok creator — whose “name” is actually the name of his channel and translates as “half-boiled egg” — has traversed Taiwan from south to north in support of Ko, of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP).
“Diligent, loves the people, loves the homeland,” says a poster in Ko’s honour pasted on Ban Shu Dan’s backpack.
Democratic Taiwan goes to the polls on Saturday for voters to choose a new leader who will guide future relations with its more powerful neighbour, China.
But as the island’s two dominant political parties trade barbs over how their candidates would handle China’s claim on Taiwan, Ban Shu Dan dismisses it as a “non-issue”.
“The Taiwan question is not in the hands of Taiwanese people — it’s all up to the United States and China,” he tells AFP outside a rally in the northern coastal city of Keelung.
This point of view is touted by TPP leader Ko, who has emerged as an unlikely third force in the island’s political landscape.
He is up against the more established front-runner Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Hou Yu-ih of Kuomintang (KMT), which has encouraged closer cooperation with China.
Ko’s rallies boast a digital-savvy, mostly young-to-millennial crowd, who analysts say are drawn to him by the anti-establishment rhetoric he espouses.
Inflatable caricature
The former Taipei mayor’s more hardcore fans also started a campaign walking from the southern tip of Taiwan to the capital, carrying a massive 2.7-metre-tall inflatable caricature of Ko on their shoulders.
Ban Shu Dan, in his 30s, says he was so inspired by Ko that he quit his job last month so he could follow the trek.
“I used to be a property agent,” he tells AFP, shrugging off worries of finding a new job.
“It’s easy to find a job if you want to work, but him running for president will only happen once — there may not be another time.”
Ban Shu Dan’s TikTok channel has more than 14,000 followers, and features short video clips of potential voters from the southern city of Kaohsiung to Taipei talking about why they like Ko.
The most popular video — with more than 500,000 views — shows the candidate walking down a busy street, shaking hands and snapping selfies with supporters, as an emcee shouts “Taiwan’s choice!”
Critics of Ko — who has previously made controversial comments on women and LGBTQ issues — say he has flip-flopped on several matters in order to draw voters from the other two parties, while his policies on China lack clarity.
But Lai Ling, 40, says she has been disillusioned by the DPP, which has been in power for the past eight years.
“Four years ago, even when I was not happy with her (President Tsai Ing-wen’s) administration, I voted for her” because she didn’t want KMT to win.
“This time I am thrilled to have a choice that is not bound by ideologies,” Lai says.
Ban Shu Dan says he has no idea how far he has walked for Ko.
“This is not important. What’s important is him getting elected,” he tells AFP, before striding off into the rally.
Dateline:
Keelung, Taiwan
Type of Story: News Service
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