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Desperate Des hires army cronies to run S'pore Military Rail Transport (SMRT)

Confuseous

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
By Christopher Tan Senior Correspondent


SMRT'S new chief executive is calling in senior Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers to beef up command and control in the transport operator's set-up.

In one of his first planned tweaks to his management team, Mr Desmond Kuek - himself a retired lieutenant-general - is understood by The Straits Times to be hiring two or three senior SAF officers to take up key appointments in the coming months.

Sources said one is Colonel Gerard Koh, who is poised to join next month as director of human resources - a department that has been in the news since last week's bus drivers' strike. Hehas held various HR positions. His latest post is head of national service affairs.

The last military man at the SMRT HR department was retired colonel Low Ah Tee, a one-time HR general manager.

Mr Low and more than half a dozen senior executives retired or quit when retailer Saw Phaik Hwa helmed the SMRT between 2002 and January this year.

Sources said Mr Kuek, 49, intends to appoint another senior officer, a logistics specialist, to the bus division. It has not only been loss-making for years, but also made the news when 171 drivers from China went on an illegal strike.

The Defence Ministry said it did not comment on its officers' career moves. "We do not share such information with the press," a spokesman said.

Mr Kuek, who took over SMRT in October, is also keeping mum. But he let on in a recent Lianhe Zaobao interview that SMRT will undergo a major reshuffle "from top to bottom" to meet future challenges and improve service.

"There are clearly managerial, structural, cultural and systemic issues that need addressing. And that is one of my top priorities."

Observers said his move was understandable. Mr Lim Jit Soon, senior analyst at stockbroking house Nomura, said: "There's apparently been a breakdown of protocol and (Mr Kuek) is trying to restore command and control."

Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport chairman Cedric Foo said observations were made that SMRT, in recent years, pursued commercial objectives at some expense to operations. "If the objective (of the move) is to strike a better balance between the two, then it's a good thing," he said.

Singapore Human Resources Institute executive director David Ang said bringing in SAF officers should work if they have competencies and skills the SMRT needs. The key to whether they excel in the corporate world lies in whether they can adapt to the environment, provide leadership and manage diverse groups.

Meanwhile, the Temasek- owned listed SMRT also made recent changes to its board. It appointed Singapore Airlines veteran Yap Kim Wah, 63, as an independent director. He is known for his experience in customer service.

It has also appointed Yayasan Mendaki chief executive Moliah Hashim, 54. In a statement to the Singapore Exchange, SMRT said she had a lot to contribute to SMRT's corporate social responsibilities, "by highlighting the concerns and expectations of commuters and the community". It also announced that Mr Yeo Wee Kiong, 57, ceased to be a director.
 

chonburifc

Alfrescian (Inf)
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Paper LTG (ret) Desmond Kuek congratulates Paper COL (ret) Gerard Koh. Got money everyone huat!
 

laksaboy

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Uh-oh another SAF trash has infiltrated SMRT! Expect plenty more of brain-dead 'solutions', ignoring of problems, inefficiency and cock-ups.

I feel bad for those poor souls who're working there. Not the management; the folks who wear the SMRT uniform and do the real work.
 

zeddy

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
LOL.. SMRT CEO calling for his army Kaki Langs to join him at SMRT..

Thats why its important to have good buddies in life.. When there's a good lobang, they'll will not forget about you..

In the future, all the retired SAF Enchiks will be hired by Desmond to be SMRT customer service officers or bus drivers..
 

Seee3

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
LOL.. SMRT CEO calling for his army Kaki Langs to join him at SMRT..

Thats why its important to have good buddies in life.. When there's a good lobang, they'll will not forget about you..

In the future, all the retired SAF Enchiks will be hired by Desmond to be SMRT customer service officers or bus drivers..
This is the best joke for 2012. If those chaps can manage, tortoise can fly.
 

Wildfire

Alfrescian
Loyal
Don't be surprise he will mobilize the combat engineers the next time there is a service disruption.

SMRT is now under siege, instead of recruiting the best from the transportation industry, he is surrounding himself with
his trusted SAF buddies ... just like Saw!

I really feel sorry for Saw's cronies, will be out of job soon :biggrin:
 

zhihau

Super Moderator
SuperMod
Asset
Don't be surprise he will mobilize the combat engineers the next time there is a service disruption.

(music)
we do the work, you can not do without!
we do the work, you can not but be proud!
oh combat engineers of the S A F
a force to reckon with in defense of our land!
 

batman1

Alfrescian
Loyal
Wth all these army people running SMRT,the whole farking mrt system will collapse and breakdown in due course.Army people should go to Afganistan or Iraq to fight real wars against terrorists ,NOT running smrt like playing toys and putting into danger other people's lives !!!
 

Confuseous

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
This blur king is most probably not aware that there is a remuneration committee which looks into such things with the HR department in listed companies, let alone one of this size. He should work out the parameters for the candidates with his HR, seek the concurrence of the committee and then conduct a proper search. Like the way the search for HIS job was conducted, where a global search was initiated.

Instead, all he has done is to remember who has licked and carried his bolls in the past, and say, hey, keep sucking.

This is really disgusting and just shows the quality of the CEOs who are no better than Chief Errand Officers (also, CEO).
 

Leckmichamarsch

Alfrescian
Loyal
Wth all these army people running SMRT,the whole farking mrt system will collapse and breakdown in due course.Army people should go to Afganistan or Iraq to fight real wars against terrorists ,NOT running smrt like playing toys and putting into danger other people's lives !!!

pays better than SAF n that counts.......... fat cats in SAF now fatter cats in SMRT
some pple are darn lucky
 

zeddy

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Don't be surprise he will mobilize the combat engineers the next time there is a service disruption.

SMRT is now under siege, instead of recruiting the best from the transportation industry, he is surrounding himself with
his trusted SAF buddies ... just like Saw!

I really feel sorry for Saw's cronies, will be out of job soon :biggrin:

Good idea.. Combat Engineers to be mobilized for service disruptions..

NS drivers to be send to SMRT bus depots to become relief bus drivers should there be another strike by the Ah Tiongs again..
 

winnipegjets

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Those who have served NS knows how messed up is the SAF. And we expect SMRT to be better with more ex-SAF clowns? You can expect more HR issues when the colonel assumes his post. Desmond thinks that command and control is the way to control the PRC workers since they are from a communist country.
 

melzp

Alfrescian
Loyal
I tot PM recently talked n supported about meritocracy.
Desmond did not ask for this job. Why is smrt obligated to hire him,
 

Wildfire

Alfrescian
Loyal
Those who have served NS knows how messed up is the SAF. And we expect SMRT to be better with more ex-SAF clowns? You can expect more HR issues when the colonel assumes his post. Desmond thinks that command and control is the way to control the PRC workers since they are from a communist country.

I don't think he is worried by PRC workers ... more like he is covering his back from Old Saw's cronies:cool:

He is surrounding himself with "Yes Sir" men in strategic positions to cover his backside.
 
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