State caught asleep at wheel
text size

State caught asleep at wheel

The slow recovery of flood-ravaged areas in Chiang Rai province and alleged gold scams by online retailers Kornkanok "Mae Tuck" Suwannabut and her husband Kanpol "Pa Bia" Rueng-aram have one thing in common -- they show how state agencies are not doing enough to protect citizens.

The two cases differ in nature but they raise the same uncomfortable question -- why do public service agencies seem to trail behind TV personalities and private citizens when it comes to coordinating disaster relief or investigating public fraud?

A joke circulating widely says a criminal would have a better time in the hands of the police than to be grilled on a popular TV show about public grievances. This is a not-so-amusing indicator of how little trust people have in the institutions tasked with safeguarding the public.

In Chiang Rai, weeks after massive runoff inundated northern provinces, hundreds of houses remain buried under metres of mud. The government began issuing cash compensation last week but it should realise that the scale of the disaster, which left behind 68,000 tonnes of flood-related rubbish and debris, is not something that individuals can contend with.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who visited the flood-hit community last week, ordered officials to clear the mud, especially from the drainage system, as soon as possible, before it hardens and becomes even more difficult to remove. But the fact remains that over the weeks, only 9,400 tonnes had been disposed of, leaving about 58,000 tonnes scattered in Mae Sai and Muang districts. The problem is aggravated as the runoff and mudflow returned on Thursday.

As foundations and private citizens rally to provide aid -- finding ways to reach isolated houses or distributing food -- the government's most visible effort was condemning Chiang Rai's now-retired governor Puttipong Sirimart, as a "disgrace" for his absence during key government visits.

Mr Puttipong also infamously excused himself from a meeting with PM Paetongtarn to attend a retirement party in Bangkok. As it is too late to discipline the retired governor, the most the ministry can do is have deputy governor Sarawut Chanthawong, who chose to attend a National Defence College class instead of staying in the area, to serve in Nakhon Sawan province as a penalty.

Yet the blame game and punitive action seem out of sync with the urgency of the moment, as thousands in the province struggle to survive without homes or basic necessities for over a month.

In the alleged gold scam case involving the couple popularly known as "Mae Tuck" and "Pa Bia", Bangkok police last week arrested the couple on suspicion of public fraud, computer crime and false advertising. The Anti-Money Laundering Office also said it would investigate whether the couple were unusually rich.

The problem is that these moves by the authorities only came after some victims took their allegations to a TV programme, which delved into the alleged irregularities -- the job that state agencies are supposed to do.

In Mae Tuck's case, her lavish lifestyle, from driving supercars to buying luxury goods, raises questions, and so does her claim that gold ornaments can only be bought back at a large discount, like used cars. Despite the warning signs, regulatory bodies failed to intervene early and protect people from falling victim to suspected scams.

The two cases serve as a wake-up call for the government and its agencies. In an era of increasingly complex crimes and severe natural disasters, it is not enough for them to simply react. These agencies need to be proactive, taking swift action to guard people against scams and preparing for disasters before they strike.

There is no doubt the Mae Tuck online gold sale case and Chiang Rai's devastating flood, which left communities inundated with tonnes of mud, present new challenges. That is why public service agencies must show dedication.

With the economy in a slump, scams and public frauds are likely to rise. State agencies must be more vigilant in monitoring irregularities and act swiftly to prevent people from becoming victims. Likewise, the restoration of Chiang Rai's flood-hit districts will require more than cash handouts and clean-up efforts. The government, emergency services as well as volunteers still have a long way to go to ensure a long-term recovery.

This should be a lesson for the future, as a lack of preparedness will land us in deeper trouble at a time when climate change threatens to make natural disasters more severe. Above all, state agencies need to regain public trust. It would be a sad reflection on our institutions if citizens continue to find TV shows more reliable in defending their interests than the very government bodies set up to do so.

Editorial

Bangkok Post editorial column

These editorials represent Bangkok Post thoughts about current issues and situations.

Email : anchaleek@bangkokpost.co.th

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (15)