Opposition Leader Slams Anuthin Over Corrupt Exam Probe
Opposition leader Nattapong Ruangpanya criticized the government over a corruption scandal in civil service exams under the Department of Local Administration, saying about 1,000 honest test-takers were unfairly harmed by the probe.
At 8:50 AM on July 3, 2569, at Parliament, Nattapong Ruangpanya, list-based MP and leader of the Democrat Party serving as opposition spokesperson, commented on corruption in local administration civil service exams under the Department of Local Administration. He noted that the secretary to Deputy PM Piphatchai Ratchakij recently resigned, raising questions about connections to the scandal.
Nattapong argued that authorities should focus on those who took the exam honestly and were affected by the controversy. He suggested the scandal may have originated from internal conflicts between rival civil service factions. "Both blue-line factions are in conflict with each other," he stated, adding that the issue surfaced due to these internal contradictions, ultimately harming innocent test-takers.
"I just received a complaint letter yesterday from honest test-takers," Nattapong said. "These candidates and their families had hopes of employment after passing. About 1,000 people are affected, and I believe there are many more honest individuals impacted by this situation."
He called on the government to review whether current measures unfairly harm innocent test-takers and suggested examining cases individually. Nattapong argued that if internal civil service conflicts hadn't surfaced, the government likely wouldn't have taken action. "I want the Prime Minister to demonstrate genuine anti-corruption efforts from within government itself, not just react to news that breaks publicly," he said.
When asked about Palang Pracharath's claim that the PM would seriously address the problem without targeting small-fry offenders, Nattapong countered that the PM, having served as Interior Minister multiple times, should have known such issues existed long within the ministry. He insisted that genuine commitment would require proactive action from day one, not reactive responses after internal scandals become public news. "The public is suffering because of this," he concluded, "and I don't believe there's sincere intent to fix corruption—only an attempt to cover up internal problems."
