Dear Editor:
Re: Jane Shin speaks, Burnaby NOW, May 24.
As a Canadian of Korean origin and as someone who takes pride in my Korean heritage, I am truly embarrassed and deeply troubled by the manner in which Jane Shin has become the MLA elect in Burnaby-Lougheed and the first Korean-Canadian MLA.
I, along with a good number of local Koreans, are of the view that many of Jane's representations and actions before, during and after the election were unethically misleading and gravely dismissive of the rights of the voters; in short, serious shortcomings for someone set to represent the voice of a community.
After resorting to a disappearing act during the election after being called out on her misrepresentations, Jane now downplays the controversy about her educational and professional credentials to, "there sort of was a translation mistake."
I ask, where is the translation mistake when Jane, fluent in Korean, was misrepresenting her educational and professional credentials in Korean, implying she had obtained her undergraduate and medical degrees from UBC and that she had practiced medicine, when in reality neither was true.
Where is the translation mistake when Jane described herself as a "doctor," playing up her "doctor" title by using words in Korean (and in Chinese) connotating a practicing physician (or someone who could readily practice), when in reality she had never practiced nor is licensed to practice anywhere.
We all know that majoring in accounting in one's undergraduate degree is not the same as calling oneself a certified accountant and having a law degree does not entitle you to call yourself a lawyer. Yet, what Jane did was precisely that.
Many local Koreans are dumbfounded and outraged that Jane blames the local Korean community for much of her controversy for having "up-sold" her credentials; the very same community she misled while actively seeking their electoral and financial support to advance her political aspiration.
Jane was not only unethical in misrepresenting her credentials but also was gravely dismissive of the rights of the voters and her supporters, including the local Korean community, to know and demand truth from her.
Many local Koreans now believe the Canadian electoral system and the voters were also played by Jane with her carefully crafted, misleading words and actions and by her strategic disappearing act during the election campaign; she was opportunistic by capitalizing on the NDP's momentum in her riding and the misguided and misinformed support from many local Koreans.
I genuinely hope the good residents of Burnaby-Lougheed will have the courage to call for, and see through, Jane's resignation and allow an opportunity for an honest candidate to represent the collective voice of the community.
At minimum, such candidate should be honest and clear about their credentials, demonstrate respect for the rights of the voters by being truthful and accessible even in times of difficulty, and have the courage to truly own up to their own mistakes, especially a "huge mistake" to put in mild terms, and to take full responsibility in such circumstances not with words but with actions, including a resignation - none of which qualities Jane appears to possess.
R. Lee, via email
