PM Prayut steps in amid furore over asset declaration rule

[webfact]

PM steps in amid furore over asset declaration rule

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

Wissanu asked to hold ‘unofficial’ discussions with NACC.
 

A NEW rule requiring more holders of important public positions to declare their assets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has triggered such serious concerns that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has decided to intervene. 

 

The premier’s intervention occurred even before the new rule, promulgated in the Royal Gazette on November 1, takes effect on December 2. 

 

“I have now assigned Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, though unofficially, to explore solutions with the NACC,” Prayut said yesterday. 

 

He was speaking after several universities complained that the new rule threatened to cause a power vacuum in their administration, as several council members were ready to quit. 

 

“Nearly half of the council members at my place have tendered their resignations,” president of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Viroj Limkaisang, complained. “This will disrupt our management. Without a quorum, we won’t be able to make decisions on several issues. And it will take time to fill positions at the council.”

 

Under the new rule, the scope of persons required to declare their assets/liabilities to the NACC will extend far beyond political-office holders like Cabinet members, senators, MPs, local administrative bodies’ executives, Bangkok governor, the attorney-general and the president of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court. Presidents of state universities and their council members, as well as top executives of public organisations and state funds, and the chiefs of Armed Forces including the police force, for example, will also have to file their asset declarations to the NACC. 

 

So far, protests have been the loudest from the higher-educational sector. 

 

Education Minister Teera-kiat Jareonset-tasin said his ministry would raise the concerns with the NACC because many university council members came from the private sector. 

 

“They don’t want to file asset declarations. If the new rule is enforced, they will leave,” he said. 

 

According to Teerakiat, his ministry cannot ignore the private sector because it is a key contributor to the country’s education. 

 

Given that the Supreme Patriarch is the president of the Mahamakut Buddhist University, he will be required to file assets declarations to the NACC too. 

 

Prayut, who also heads the National Council for Peace and Order and holds special power as its chief, expressed hope that authorities will find a solution before the new rule takes effect. 

 

However, while the NACC has promised to listen to the opinions of all sides, its president Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit emphasised that the new rule was drawn up in line with the new charter. 

 

“It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said. 

 

He added that in fact all state officials must submit their assets/liabilities declarations to their supervisors, but the NACC had intended to require high-level officials to submit the declarations for the NACC to review. 

 

“Members of university councils have the power to approve budgets used by universities and their units. So, their positions are in the same level as high-level executives of state organisations. They, therefore, should declare their assets,” Watcharapol said.

 

The Coordinating Centre for the Public Higher Education (CHES) has expressed support for the new rule. 

 

“There is no need for the university council’s presidents and members to be worried about asset declarations if they have nothing to hide,” CHES president Weerachai Phutdhawong said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30358030

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-07

[Samui Bodoh]

"...Under the new rule, the scope of persons required to declare their assets/liabilities to the NACC will extend far beyond political-office holders like Cabinet members, senators, MPs, local administrative bodies’ executives, Bangkok governor, the attorney-general and the president of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court. Presidents of state universities and their council members, as well as top executives of public organisations and state funds, and the chiefs of Armed Forces including the police force, for example, will also have to file their asset declarations to the NACC..." 

 

If they support the Junta, they have nothing to worry about. Its not like the NACC will "investigate" as long as they behave, is it? Has everyone already forgotten the "investigation" of Prayut's assets? Or Prawit's watches?

 

"...It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said..." 

 

 

It is for the ease of leverage and control; if anyone with an important job steps out of line or misbehaves, then they will be "investigated" and removed.

 

Hmm... perhaps this should be presented as a 'cost-saving' measure? You force high officials everywhere to provide incriminating material on themselves, then you save on "investigation" costs.

 

 

If this were a country with high ethics, this might be a good idea. As it isn't such a country, it is a means of control.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

 

Sad, sad times for beloved Thailand.

 

 

[canuckamuck]

58 minutes ago, webfact said:

A NEW rule requiring more holders of important public positions to declare their assets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has triggered such serious concerns that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has decided to intervene. 

It's quite hilarious. It's like a group of heroin addicts decided they all needed to take a drug test and anyone caught taking drugs would be in big trouble. SB's post above explains the reality of the consequences quite well. It's a very dark move. 

[kannot]

HYPOCRITCAL!!

[z42]

Typifies the country's major ills in 1 fell swoop. Those who are clean and have not accumulated their wealth honestly will scream blue murder when asked to do so, and so it appears.

The culture in the country is wrong though, i suspect a very small (almost token) few will have risen honestly to any sort of meaningful ranking level. And it is most galling that a man who has never explained the true sources of his hundreds of millions of baht in assets is calling the shots here.

 

What a dreadful, dreadful mess this is. I hope the students themselves realize what the rotten apples at the top of the Universities are up to, and act accordingly to resist them, it's the only way to go

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...Under the new rule, the scope of persons required to declare their assets/liabilities to the NACC will extend far beyond political-office holders like Cabinet members, senators, MPs, local administrative bodies’ executives, Bangkok governor, the attorney-general and the president of Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court. Presidents of state universities and their council members, as well as top executives of public organisations and state funds, and the chiefs of Armed Forces including the police force, for example, will also have to file their asset declarations to the NACC..." 

 

If they support the Junta, they have nothing to worry about. Its not like the NACC will "investigate" as long as they behave, is it? Has everyone already forgotten the "investigation" of Prayut's assets? Or Prawit's watches?

 

"...It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said..." 

 

 

It is for the ease of leverage and control; if anyone with an important job steps out of line or misbehaves, then they will be "investigated" and removed.

 

Hmm... perhaps this should be presented as a 'cost-saving' measure? You force high officials everywhere to provide incriminating material on themselves, then you save on "investigation" costs.

 

 

If this were a country with high ethics, this might be a good idea. As it isn't such a country, it is a means of control.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

 

Sad, sad times for beloved Thailand.

 

 

 

This is what an oligarchy looks like.......

[Wilsonandson]

What's the fuss? All they need is a good accountant to cook the books.

[Thailand]

Surely if ill gotten gains are not already securely hidden by various nefarious means these people do not deserve to be at the trough?

[HappyAndRich]

Sack ´em all then. I am sure there are both more competent and more honest people that will apply for the free positions.

[PatOngo]

8 minutes ago, HappyAndRich said:

Sack ´em all then. I am sure there are both more competent and more honest people that will apply for the free positions.

Free? Everything has a price here.

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

A NEW rule requiring more holders of important public positions to declare their assets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)

this is like asking corruption itself to be transparent

[chainarong]

For he that shouts the loudest is indeed the villian.????

[MRToMRT]

Asset declarations are standard in many gov and international organizations. They should be standard in Thailand. I really cannot figure why any TV member would be against them in principle, as its a small but necessary step on the road to reduce/end corruption. I had to do one for my last 4 years of employment because I was working on an IO (IRE) project - and I was way below the authority level that has been set in this ruling. They should be standard practice.

[zzaa09]

29 minutes ago, HappyAndRich said:

Sack ´em all then. I am sure there are both more competent and more honest people that will apply for the free positions.

I'm not too sure that you understand how things work here.....

[watcharacters]

 

I have the vision of rats fleeing a sinking ship.

 

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“It’s for the sake of transparency,” he said. 

Not for Prawit. He didn’t declared his expensive watches and who knows what else that he and the generals didn’t declared. Problem of asset declaration is that it being applied discriminatory; never level playing field. 

[Lungstib]

All that talk about politicians corruption has finally backfired. The spotlight then has to fall on these 'new politicians' the power holders who have stayed in the shadows and enjoyed all the fruits of corruption without ever being held to account. Isn't the Thai expression 'som nam na".

[zzaa09]

4 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

All that talk about politicians corruption has finally backfired. The spotlight then has to fall on these 'new politicians' the power holders who have stayed in the shadows and enjoyed all the fruits of corruption without ever being held to account. Isn't the Thai expression 'som nam na".

That would be it.

....and a term one doesn't hear Thais repeat in friendly company. 

[yellowboat]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He was speaking after several universities complained that the new rule threatened to cause a power vacuum in their administration, as several council members were ready to quit. 

That is the best news I have heard all year.  Why don't they all just quit?  Sounds like the junta can't handle governing.  What a great time to step aside.

[HappyAndRich]

21 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

I'm not too sure that you understand how things work here.....

Doesn´t matter what you think in that area. Over 20 years of living here tells me a different story. That I have a hard stance and opinion is a totally different subject.

[ramrod711]

“They don’t want to file asset declarations. If the new rule is enforced, they will leave,” he said. 

 

See ya, don't call us, we'll call you.

[VincentRJ]

So far, protests have been the loudest from the higher-educational sector.  
Education Minister Teera-kiat Jareonset-tasin said his ministry would raise the concerns with the NACC because many university council members came from the private sector.  
“They don’t want to file asset declarations. If the new rule is enforced, they will leave,” he said.  
According to Teerakiat, his ministry cannot ignore the private sector because it is a key contributor to the country’s education.  
“Nearly half of the council members at my place have tendered their resignations,” president of Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Viroj Limkaisang, complained. “This will disrupt our management. Without a quorum, we won’t be able to make decisions on several issues. And it will take time to fill positions at the council.”

 

The solution is clear. No-one should be allowed to avoid declaring their assets by resigning. If there's any hint or suspicion that a council member, or the holder of an important public position, has resigned in order to avoid the declaration of his/her assets, then that person's assets should be thoroughly investigated. Why would anyone resign because of this new law, if he has nothing to hide?

 

In order to allow this to happen, the new law needs to be retrospective, at least to the point when the proposed introduction of the law was made public in the news media.

[PatOngo]

Let he without sin cast the first stone!...………..What?...……….No takers?      

[Pedrogaz]

What exactly is the point when you see outright flouting of the rules by watch wearing deputy PMs?

[Lupatria]

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

this is like asking corruption itself to be transparent

[CALSinCM]

Given the reaction to the edict, it seems that corruption is far more pervasive that even the most conservative estimates. 

[dcnx]

4 hours ago, z42 said:

 

What a dreadful, dreadful mess this is. I hope the students themselves realize what the rotten apples at the top of the Universities are up to, and act accordingly to resist them, it's the only way to go

If you’re not one of the rotten apples, you’re a groveling boot licker. This is Thai culture in a nutshell. 

[Gandtee]

No doubt our illustrious leader will also come under the new ruling. It would be interesting to see his assets from before and since he claimed his position.

[AGareth2]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

“There is no need for the university council’s presidents and members to be worried about asset declarations if they have nothing to hide,” CHES president Weerachai Phutdhawong said. 

no wonder they are worried

but the big Q is whether a PM needs to declare their assets

[HalfLight]

Hmmm/ Prayuth didn't want anyone to see his assets as I recall.

 

I wonder what that could mean...

 

Obviously the right man to stand in judgment of other people's honesty. Obviously.

Edited November 7, 2018 by HalfLight