Lo Mei-ling

Lo was born in Malaysia on 1 May 1969.[1][2] She attended Pay Fong Middle School before immigrating to Taiwan in 1987 to enroll within the Department of Geography at National Taiwan Normal University.[3][4] Lo completed the Executive Master of Business Administration program at Providence University and pursued doctoral studies at the Department of Finance of the National Changhua University of Education.[3] She acquired Taiwanese citizenship through marriage to a Taiwanese national.[2][4]

Lo was elected to the Nantou County Council for the first time in 2014, as a political independent. She joined the Democratic Progressive Party for the 2018 election cycle, and was reelected.[3][4] As a member of the county council, she advocated for the elderly living in low-income households.[5] In November 2019, she was ranked fourth on the DPP party list, and won election to the 10th Legislative Yuan via proportional representation.[1][6]

In May 2020, Lo advocated for stricter laws on fire safety.[7] In November of that year, she founded a coalition to offer support for immigrants to Taiwan.[8] In March 2021, Lo proposed that rescue services operate on a user-pay principle to dissuade unprepared tourists from visiting mountainous areas.[9] In August 2021, she drew attention to suicide rates among adolescents, and advised that the Ministry of Education employ more guidance counselors as part of its suicide prevention efforts.[10] That same month, she held a joint press conference regarding animal welfare and living conditions at pet shops and breeders.[11] In October 2021, Lo proposed a basic law regarding the low birth rate in Taiwan.[12] She continued advocating for children, expressing concern in the following month that the internet made minors more susceptible to sexual exploitation and abuse.[13] In March 2022, Lo suggested that Article 31 of the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macau Affairs be amended to prevent Chinese companies from claiming foreign or Hong Kong funding while doing business in Taiwan.[14] During the 2022 Taiwanese local elections, she led the DPP campaign messaging efforts targeting immigrants and naturalized citizens.[15]