Lai Ruilong received NT$3 million in political donations from Clouded Leopard: Worker’s son became the gatekeeper of Congress

The Kuomintang Legislative Yuan Caucus held a press conference today, saying that the Democratic Progressive Party’s Kaohsiung mayoral candidate and legislator Lai Ruilong has close ties with Clouded Leopard Energy Group. Not only did he receive a total of 3 million yuan (NT$, about US$92,000) in political donations from people related to Cloud Leopard and Yongxin Group during the 2020 legislative election, but he also introduced Clouded Leopard Energy to install solar panels in the Legislative Yuan in the past, and held several public hearings related to green energy. The Kuomintang group questioned whether Lai Ruilong was a Kaohsiung legislator or a “Clouded Leopard Congress gatekeeper.” Lai Ruilong needs to come forward to clarify whether there is any connection between political donations and related actions, and called on the prosecutor to actively investigate.

The Kuomintang League held a press conference “A former disciple turned into a clouded leopard gatekeeper?! A laborer’s son turned out to be a legislator of optoelectronics”. Party General Secretary Su Yu-chen, legislator Wang Hongwei, Taipei City Councilor Liu Kaiwei and former KMT spokesperson Yang Ziyi attended the press conference.

Xu Yuzhen said that the Clouded Leopard Group is suspected of interfering in the operation of the Congress. Is Lai Ruilong a Kaohsiung legislator or the “gatekeeper of the Clouded Leopard Congress”? According to the political donation declaration records of the Supervisory Yuan, during the 2020 legislative election, Lai Ruilong received a total of 3 million yuan in political donations from related persons of Yunbao and Yongxin Group. He questioned why donors focused on people belonging to the Clouded Leopard Group, and Lai Ruilong’s behavior in the Legislative Yuan when accepting political donations also aroused suspicion from the outside world.

Zhu Yuzhen pointed out that Lai Ruilong personally launched Cloud Leopard Energy in 2017 and installed solar panels on the roof of Zhenjiang Hall of the Legislative Yuan, turning the Legislative Yuan into a model exhibition space. In 2020, it was revealed that photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Legislative Yuan in mainland China were using inverters from Huawei, which raised concerns about information security and national security. Related manufacturers include Clouded Leopard’s subsidiary Jingcheng Energy and Yongxin Energy, which has a close cooperation with Clouded Leopard. Lai Ruilong hosted and co-organized more than 20 green energy public hearings and press conferences in the Legislative Yuan, and often invited specific industry players to participate. Is he a Kaohsiung legislator or a Clouded Leopard gold medal seller? Don’t we need to account to the entire public?

Xu Yuzhen mentioned that when Lai Ruilong served as the convenor of the Economic Committee of the Legislative Yuan in 2022, he ignored the opinions of the government and the opposition and sent a draft of amendments to the “Renewable Energy Development Ordinance” for consultation to promote relevant regulations for the installation of solar photovoltaic equipment in new buildings. However, the relevant amendments were so controversial that the Lai government adjusted its policy direction and implemented the new system only in August this year. He questioned whether Lai Ruilong used people’s tax money to help solve the problems of large private telecommunications companies. Isn’t this the gatekeeper?

The Kuomintang group made two major demands. First, it asked Lai Ruilong to come forward and explain whether there is any idea connection between the political donation of 3 million yuan, the introduction of Cloud Leopard Energy to install photovoltaic panels in the Legislative Yuan, and the latter’s voice for the photovoltaic industry and promotion of relevant law amendments. Secondly, we call on the Procuratorate to actively investigate the flow of political donations, the Legislative Yuan’s optoelectronics bidding case and related law-amendment disputes, so as to clarify whether there are improper interests, and not allow the national energy policy to become a cash machine for elite associations.

Wang Hongwei said that when Lai Ruilong published the book “Little Duckling Goes Forward”, he should have detailed his political achievements in the Legislative Yuan. However, the book does not mention his political donations to the Clouded Leopard Group as well as his convening of 21 related public hearings and promoting bill amendments in just a few years. He questioned, since Lai Ruilong had done so much for the clouded leopards, why did he not dare to write it in his book? If Lai Ruilong takes over Kaohsiung City in the future, will all the rooftops in Kaohsiung City be equipped with Clouded Leopard photovoltaic panels, turning Kaohsiung into a “Clouded Leopard City”? He asked Lai Ruilong to come forward and stop hiding behind the yellow duckling, showing that he was a worker’s son who cared about the underprivileged.

Liu Caiwei questioned whether the relevant public hearing held by Lai Ruilong in the Legislative Yuan was related to the political donations he received? Shouldn’t Lai Ruilong give an explanation to the public? Yang Zitan also said that since Lai Ruilong promoted so many green energy-related issues in the Legislative Yuan, why did he not list these achievements as his political achievements in this election and explain them to voters?