That said, while the intent is commendable, the way these matters are publicized can sometimes have unintended consequences. Overexposing drug busts in the media, even with the aim of deterrence and public reassurance, risks reinforcing a negative image that could brand Kuwait as a major transit hub for the drug trade.

The challenge lies in striking a balance between transparency and safeguarding the country’s reputation. From another important perspective, some in government focus on safeguarding the country’s finances from waste and abuse. In the past, corruption and misuse of public funds became so common that the phrase ‘combating corruption’ began to lose its meaning. It sometimes felt as if public money was there for anyone to take. Today, anti-corruption efforts are being enforced with an almost prosecutorial presumption: “You are guilty until proven innocent.”

This approach, though too harsh for some, is understandable when corruption becomes deeply entrenched. In such cases, soft measures rarely suffice; a calculated degree of firmness is necessary to ensure that wrongdoers are held accountable. I am reminded of my late uncle, Hamad Al-Jouan, who played a central role as a parliamentarian in drafting and passing Kuwait’s Public Funds Protection Law more than three decades ago. It was not the product of a single day or week, but of sustained effort, research, and multiple revisions.

Serious reforms require time and precision before they can operate at maximum efficiency. Still, the current rigidity, despite its good intentions, can backfire if not moderated by fair safeguards. It risks creating an environment in which capable leaders hesitate to act for fear that an unintentional mistake could result in severe punishment.

This is, in the truest sense of the word, counterintuitive: excessive caution can suppress creativity, entrench bureaucracy, slow decision-making, and ultimately cost the country valuable opportunities. I hope that this phase is a temporary one, to be followed by a recalibration that preserves accountability while enabling greater efficiency. Both Kuwait’s anti-drug and anticorruption efforts are still in their early stages. With refinement, they can achieve justice according to the highest standards of fairness and effectiveness.

In the end, balanced praise and honest criticism are what separate a nation that rises from one that stumbles. Governments, like students, are graded in multiple subjects: they may excel in some, perform adequately in others, and fail in a few. Fairness requires that we acknowledge the areas of excellence as well as those in need of improvement. If you want a student to listen to your concerns, you must not focus exclusively on their lack of achievement in certain subjects. In the long run, honest engagement is what truly drives progress.