Marriage of Ma's eldest daughter stirs security and privacy uproar
Wedding of president's US-born daughter to a Taiwanese American drives media frenzy, while lawmakers question his identity and her loyalty
The low-key marriage of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou's eldest daughter has caused a big stir on the island and sparked a heated debate over whether the children and close relatives of public figures have the right to protect their privacy.
The marriage of 33-year-old Lesley Ma became the centre of attention this month following media reports that she had held a wedding banquet in a plush hotel in Taipei on March 9.
Ma's office did not confirm the reports until the night of March 11, when his spokeswoman said that Lesley Ma had married former Harvard University classmate Allen Tsai Pei-jan - who was born in Taiwan but raised in the United States - in New York last year. She said the so-called wedding banquet was merely a "private gathering" of mutual friends and Harvard classmates.
The spokeswoman said Tsai worked for a financial institution in Hong Kong and that the couple lived there.
"The president is very grateful for the public concern about the marriage, but hopes that the privacy of the newly-weds can be respected," she said.
The confirmation only came after frenzied media speculation about the wedding and demands by opposition lawmakers, citing national security concerns, that the identity of Ma's son-in-law be revealed.