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Yen Kuan-heng

Yen Kuan-heng
MLY
顏寬恆
Yen in September 2013
Member of the Legislative Yuan
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 February 2024
Preceded byLin Ching-yi
ConstituencyTaichung II
In office
1 February 2013 – 31 January 2020
Preceded byYen Ching-piao
Succeeded byChen Po-wei
ConstituencyTaichung II
Personal details
Born (1977-09-14) 14 September 1977 (age 47)
Shalu, Taichung, Taiwan
NationalityRepublic of China
Political partyKuomintang (since 2012)
ParentYen Ching-piao (father)
RelativesYen Li-ming (sister)
EducationChienkuo Technology University (BS)
Chung Hua University (MPA)
University of San Francisco (MBA)

Yen Kuan-heng (Chinese: 顏寬恆; pinyin: Yán Kuānhéng; born 14 September 1977) is a Taiwanese politician. He was elected to the Legislative Yuan from Taichung in 2013, to replace his father Yen Ching-piao in office. Yen lost reelection to Chen Po-wei in 2020, and returned to office in 2024.

Education

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Yen graduated from Chienkuo Technology University and earned a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from Chung Hua University. He then completed graduate studies in the United States at the University of San Francisco, where he earned a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.).[1]

Political career

[edit]

Yen Kuan-heng helped run his father's first legislative campaign in 2001,[2] and worked as the elder Yen's legislative assistant.[3] Yen Ching-piao was sentenced to prison in November 2012 and expelled from the Legislative Yuan, necessitating a by-election for Taichung 2.[4][5] Chen Shih-kai was named the Democratic Progressive Party candidate days before the Kuomintang announced its support of Yen Kuan-heng.[6][7] The by-election was held on 26 January 2013, with Yen winning by 1,138 votes.[8][9] The Kuomintang nominated Yen for a second term over fellow party member Chi Kuo-tung [zh] in the 2016 legislative elections, and Yen won again.[10] In March 2016, Yen joined the Parliamentary Transparency Alliance, a smaller group of Kuomintang legislators within the Ninth Legislative Yuan.[11] Yen narrowly lost reelection to Taiwan Statebuilding Party candidate Chen Po-wei in 2020.[12] Following a successful bid to recall Chen from office [zh] in October 2021, a by-election was scheduled for 9 January 2022.[13] The Kuomintang formally nominated Yen as its candidate for the by-election on 9 November 2021.[14] French-born Taiwanese director Jean-Robert Thomann filmed the documentary Taiwan, Chronicle of a Threatened Democracy, about the by-election, which Yen lost to Lin Ching-yi.[15] Yen unseated Lin in the 2024 legislative election.[16]

During the 2021 by-election, Yen was investigated by the Taichung District Prosecutor’s Office, which found that his house in Shalu District was illegally built on state-owned land.[17] The resulting probe additionally discovered that Yen had illicitly received NT$1.08 million in public funds, by having Lin Chin-fu claim to be Yen's legislative aide.[18] In July 2024, the Taichung District Court found that Yen violated Article V of the Anti-Corruption Act, and was guilty of forgery, and sentenced him to a combined prison term of eight years and four months.[19]

References

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  1. ^ 立法院 (23 July 2013). "立法院". 立法院 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  2. ^ Tsai, Ting-i (14 January 2002). "Newsmakers: Elected from jail, Yen thanks Matsu". Taipei Times. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  3. ^ Mo, Yan-chih (31 December 2012). "KMT's Yen Kuan-hen launches Taichung election bid". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  4. ^ Wang, Chris (25 January 2013). "KMT split may give DPP victory in Taichung". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  5. ^ Wang, Chris (17 January 2013). "DPP hopes win will boost momentum". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  6. ^ Wang, Chris (18 December 2012). "DPP announces candidate for by-election". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  7. ^ "KMT backs Yen Kuan-hen". Taipei Times. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  8. ^ Mo, Yan-chih; Wang, Chris (27 January 2013). "KMT wins Taichung by-election". Taipei Times.
  9. ^ Tseng, Wei-chen; Chung, Jake (28 January 2013). "Taichung election gives DPP hope for recall bids". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  10. ^ Shih, Hsiu-chuan (18 July 2015). "Chu rejects 'hall of one voice' criticism". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  11. ^ Hsiao, Alison (10 March 2016). "Alliance lays down reform plans". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  12. ^ Chang, Chi; Liu, Kuan-ting; Mazzetta, Matthew (12 January 2020). "2020 ELECTIONS/Young candidates, underdogs prevail in several legislative races". Central News Agency. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  13. ^ Chen, Chun-hua; Ko, Lin (28 October 2021). "By-election for Taichung's 2nd electoral district slated for Jan. 9". Central News Agency. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  14. ^ Chao, Li-yan; Liu, Kuan-ting; Kao, Evelyn (9 November 2021). "KMT picks Yen Kuan-heng to run in Taichung legislative by-election". Central News Agency. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  15. ^ Tseng, Ting-hsuan; Wu, Kuan-hsien (7 February 2024). "19 Taiwanese films to be shown at French festival". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  16. ^ Liu, Kay; Yang, Evelyn (13 January 2024). "ELECTION 2024/Taiwan's 2024 presidential, legislative elections". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  17. ^ Hsu, Medwin (26 July 2024). "Taiwan KMT legislator sentenced to 8 years, 4 months for corruption and forgery". Taiwan News. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  18. ^ Wu, Mu-tsun; Chao, Li-yen; Huang, Frances (26 July 2024). "KMT lawmaker Yen Kuan-heng sentenced 94 months in jail for corruption". Central News Agency. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  19. ^ Pan, Jason (27 July 2024). "KMT lawmaker Yen sentenced by Taichung court". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
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