A Gift from Heaven?

Last Friday (April 16), the Judicial Reform Foundation (JRF) accepted a NT$100 million donation from Mr. David Sun (Sun Ta-wei) and Mr. John Tu (Tu Chi-ch'uan), co-founders of Kingston Technology. Many people are curious about how the JRF plans to use this money, with some even jokingly calling it "a gift from heaven" and expressing a sense of envy toward the JRF. In response to the public's concerns and questions, I believe the JRF, as the manager of this fund, has a clear responsibility to explain our thoughts and practices.

First, regarding the purpose of this NT$100 million donation, in accordance with the donation agreement signed by Kingston Technology and the JRF, the fund will be used primarily for the ballot-inspection (vote-recount) fees required in the "nullification of election" and "nullification of successful election" lawsuits arising from the recent presidential election. Specifically, once the court rulings on the relevant election lawsuits become final, litigants who are legally obligated to pay for the ballot-inspection fees may submit an application to the JRF within 15 days. Upon verifying the receipts, the JRF will immediately donate the corresponding amount to the litigant. Should the litigant refuse the donation or if there is a surplus in the fund, no less than 50 percent of the remaining amount will be used to promote ethnic integration, while the remainder will be allocated to public interest activities such as human rights education, legal education, and judicial reform.

Although a recent preliminary ruling by the Taiwan High Court on the 21st set the ballot-inspection fees for the current election nullification lawsuit at as high as NT$60 million (subject to adjustments based on actual costs), it appears that after deducting the inspection fees disbursed to litigants and the gift tax the JRF is legally required to pay, very little of the NT$100 million fund will likely remain. Nevertheless, as long as there is any surplus in this fund, the JRF will faithfully fulfill its promise to use the entirety of it for public interest activities such as promoting ethnic integration, human rights education, legal education, and judicial reform. We do not even rule out the possibility of commissioning or donating to other more suitable groups and individuals in the future to maximize Kingston Technology's goodwill and the utility of this donation.

Next, you might be wondering when this fund can be disbursed. Because ballot-inspection fees for election lawsuits cannot be paid out until the court judgments are finalized, the JRF must similarly wait until a confirmed surplus is available before allocating funds to public interest activities such as promoting ethnic integration. Therefore, we apologize to the civic groups and friends who have applied to the JRF over the past few days and were unable to receive funds! However, we must manage the fund in accordance with the donor's instructions, and we ask for your understanding in this matter.

In fact, when the JRF was considering whether to accept this NT$100 million donation, we were already well aware that this fund bears a strong "proxy collection and custody" nature and might not substantially aid our own financial position. However, there are three reasons why we were still willing to do so: First, we share the philosophy of the two Kingston founders, who hope that post-election disputes can be settled as soon as possible—that loving Taiwan transcends party affiliations and ethnic groups, with those who have money contributing money and those who have strength contributing strength. Second, the JRF's finances have always been transparent and sound, and we are confident that we can handle this substantial fund impartially and fulfill the donor's wishes. Third, most members of the JRF are attorneys, giving us sufficient legal professional capacity to handle issues such as vote-recount fees and fund allocation.

Overall, Kingston Technology's trust and entrustment to the JRF has made us even more acutely aware of our responsibility to the donor and to society. Even if this truly is a "gift from heaven," I believe it is not a gift intended for the JRF, but rather a gift from two overseas Chinese businessmen, Mr. David Sun and Mr. John Tu, to all the people of Taiwan—to cease internal friction and fighting, and to promote ethnic harmony and political party reconciliation. I hope everyone will cherish it together.

※ Published in: Apple Daily