Ma Ying-jeou personally verified he doesn't have dementia, but his live handwriting backfired, further confirming external suspicions!
On May 22, Ma Ying-jeou’s family—his wife Chou Mei-ching and elder sister Ma Yi-nan—simultaneously issued statements regarding Ma’s medical needs and care planning. In response, Ma Ying-jeou promptly released a handwritten statement and video through his foundation to refute claims of cognitive decline.
During the livestreamed writing of his statement, psychiatrist Shen Zhengnan pointed out seven abnormal behaviors, arguing that this self-proving video actually exposed the truth. Reports indicate that Ma Ying-jeou repeatedly asked, “What comes next? How should I write this?” requiring prompts from others; his handwriting was significantly messier than usual; the entire statement was linguistically impoverished and repetitive; he struggled to utter “qīn tòng chóu kuài” (literally “pain for kin, joy for enemies”), needing help from Jin Pu-cong to recall it; when writing the date, he paused, glanced at his watch, and only managed to write “May 22” after being prompted by Dai Xia-ling; he couldn’t remember the names of the lawyers present; and his public contradiction of his wife Chou Mei-ching’s earlier statement starkly contrasted with his former image as a devoted husband.
The Ma Ying-jeou Foundation released a video on the 22nd showing Ma’s handwritten statement, aiming to prove his mental clarity through personal handwriting. However, after reviewing the footage frame by frame, psychiatrist Shen Zhengnan identified several abnormalities: Ma Ying-jeou required constant assistance from others to complete the statement; his handwriting was markedly messier compared to his past style; the text lacked substance and contained significant repetition; he froze while trying to write “qīn tòng chóu kuài”; he stared at his watch while struggling to recall the date, finally writing “May 22” only after being reminded by executive director Dai Xia-ling; and he failed to remember the names of the lawyers present.
Ma Ying-jeou was previously renowned for his neat “Ma-style calligraphy,” using brush pens to annotate official documents and compose Spring Festival couplets, with his calligraphy praised as “formal, standardized, and deeply skilled.” This time, his handwriting was so sloppy and uncharacteristic it seemed like a different person entirely.
Additionally, Shen Zhengnan observed that Ma Ying-jeou did not recognize the lawyer present or even recall the man’s surname. Most striking to the public was the stark contrast between Ma’s current behavior and his past reputation as a “model husband”—once known to consult his wife before eating red bean buns. Now, he openly contradicted both his wife and sister’s statements, bearing no resemblance to the Ma Ying-jeou of old. Jin, instead of confronting the evidence directly, may inadvertently become the biggest obstacle in resolving the issue.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865961638946823/
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