The "corruption" case of former chairman of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), Ma Ying-jeou, will inevitably shock the island's political situation, Hong Kong and Taiwan's mainstream media have reported.

Ma has been accused of embezzling special government funds and resigned from his post of KMT chairman after he was prosecuted. Despite the charges, Ma will contest the presidential election.

Taiwan's China Times said in its editorial on Wednesday that Ma's case was of "a high degree of politics" from the very beginning because the news broke after Taiwan's "leader" Chen Shui-bian's wife was indicted for allegedly embezzling of NT$14.8 million ($444,000).

The editorial said if Ma's case set the standard for indicting for misuse of special government fund, more similar cases would follow because Ma had acted exactly the same as some 65,000 other government chiefs entitled to special expenses.

Taiwan's United Daily News said in its editorial that Chen was not affected by his wife's alleged embezzlement, but Ma was indicted for his so-called misuse of special funds, which represented "an unbalanced judicial effect".

Hong Kong's Ming Po said Ma has been widely accepted as "Mr Clean" of Taiwanese politics.

The article said after Ma was prosecuted for the alleged embezzlement last year, four important figures of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party were also prosecuted for the same crime.

However, Taiwan's authority has resisted revealing the investigation results.

Hong Kong's Oriental Daily said Ma's case was another show of "politics beyond judicature". Ma is well-known for being "politically clean", the article said. He has donated 11.6 million new Taiwan dollars to charity during the investigation, showing a sharp contrast to Chen's attitude in his wife's case, the report said.

Ma was the "scapegoat" under the current system and invisible rules and that "the fairness of judicature has been damaged by politics" the article said.

Another Hong Kong's newspaper, Xin Po, said in its editorial the public opinion survey made after Ma's being indicted showed that more than 90 percent of the public supported Ma's decision to take part in the presidential election in 2008.

The editorial said when Chen's wife was indicted for embezzlement, she refused to appear at the court for "being ill", while other Democratic Progressive Party members connected to the case also refused to attend the court for different "reasons".

Source: China Daily/Xinhua