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SMRT chief to tap military men for key posts

jubilee1919

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Generous Asset
SMRT chief to tap military men for key posts

20121207.000959_smrt.jpg

Mr Desmond Kuek (in blue shirt), president and chief executive officer (CEO) of SMRT, at the town hall meeting with Chinese SMRT drivers on 3 November 2012.

By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent
The Straits Times
Sunday, Dec 09, 2012

SINGAPORE - 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. He has 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.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121206-388112.html

excuse_me_what_are_you_doing_3971.jpg
 

LeMans2011

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Loyal
Military men should just be left in the military... unfortunately LauLee seems to equate that kind of leadership quality or technical ability to a private enterprise set up
 

LeMans2011

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Loyal
That is precisely the same mistake they made in picking that lesbian from duty free to head SMRT... tsk tsk tsk... why people dont learn from mistakes
 

Dreamer1

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Loyal
Military men should just be left in the military... unfortunately LauLee seems to equate that kind of leadership quality or technical ability to a private enterprise set up
I would advise General Kuek to learn from his ACS's old pal Col Gan (MD of another bus company)Col Gan was sacked from his first private experience(Non-GLC),but he leart from it.he is now a better CEO.
 

Confuseous

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Asset
There does not appear to be any board oversight on how to fix the problem holistically. To increase revenue, hire ex-retail expert(ise) to the extent that by the end of her reign, rental and advertising spaces were generating more revenue than the core business of providing transport. Who gives a damn about maintaining the tracks. Engineering problems arise, so start 'global search' for someone with technical expertise to give engineering a bigger say in management. Surprise, surprise, no one in the world with running a subway/train service could be found but hey, we have local talent who is perfect for the job.

How many potential candidates from train operators from the region or the world were evaluated?

Now, there are plans to bring in more of the same - welcome to the world of Group Think in SG! Of course choh-boh Lim denied vehemently that there was ever group think here.
 

Conqueror

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All For The Sake Of His Son

Military men should just be left in the military... unfortunately LauLee seems to equate that kind of leadership quality or technical ability to a private enterprise set up


You simply don't understand the situation here. LKY wants complete CONTROL. Yes, he wanted a junta type of governance if there's a need. A pseudo junta to be exact. Lee has always been wary of any political competition and security instability that may lead to his son's demise or ouster. NS has been the mainstay of this f**kin nation. This is to ensure the Prosperity Burger will not end up into a Ham Burglar that his son will be depending on. This farkin old man needs a brain or a heart surgery. See whether his brain is that dirty or his heart is really that black.

Again, there is no leadership, but only a DICTATORSHIP. From the top to the bottom. A fabric of military principle to cohere the political and security pieces together. PAP is also that flimsy pieces that needed such coherence too.

See ? It is all for the sake of that sissy Loong's future. And huat ah !
 

batman1

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Loyal
They still don't get it ,do they ? Trying to fix a square into a circle.The more military people they put into the SMRT,the greater will be the rot and eventual breakdown and collapse of SMRT.
Why do the pap govt gave out $1.2 billion free subsidy to the 2 transport operators to improve public services when the transport operators earned humongous profits annually and SMRT directors and shareholders are collecting millions of dollars in annual dividends in a monopolised transport industry ?
Might as well nationalize the 2 transport operators to benefit the public commuters instead of profitting by a few unscrupulous businessmen.
So much corruption,collusion and nepotism in SMRT,that's the issue...
 
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Confuseous

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Asset
And why is the Transport Minister making comments about the need to raise fares - when the CEO is trying to solve basic HR problems (not that he has a clue on what to do). Is No-porn Lui trying to provide 'guidance' for the lap dogs in the food chain on what to do?

If anything, Temasek as a 54% shareholder should be making the noises.
 

captainxerox

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Loyal
They still don't get it ,do they ? Trying to fix a square into a circle.The more military people they put into the SMRT,the greater will be the rot and eventual breakdown and collapse of SMRT.
Why do the pap govt gave out $1.2 billion free subsidy to the 2 transport operators to improve public services when the transport operators earned humongous profits annually and SMRT directors and shareholders are collecting millions of dollars in annual dividends in a monopolised transport industry ?
Might as well nationalize the 2 transport operators to benefit the public commuters instead of profitting by a few unscrupulous businessmen.
So much corruption,collusion and nepotism in SMRT,that's the issue...

they don't get it lah. if saf, can do ndp year after year, with all the logistics and pomp, they can do smrt. that's their reasoning.
 

Conqueror

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We Aren't Like The Libyans And Egyptians

They still don't get it ,do they ?

Why do the pap govt gave out $1.2 billion free subsidy to the 2 transport operators to improve public services when the transport operators earned humongous profits annually and SMRT directors and shareholders are collecting millions of dollars in annual dividends in a monopolised transport industry ?

So much corruption,collusion and nepotism in SMRT,that's the issue...


You still don't get it. Whether the trains moving or not is NOT important. If it is going to burn his pocket and his profit margin, then it is a Yes-I-will-fix-it-quickly. Whether you will be dying in Bedok or MBS, it is not important; however, do not hamper its money making capacity and efficiency.

Anything less than this ...


[video=youtube;NOoLH5-QVFE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOoLH5-QVFE&noredirect=1[/video]

corruption and nepotism will continue as usual. Why ? Because the system works and it is doing fine. So, there's no urgent need to change it.

Sad to say, we aren't like the Libyans or the Egyptians who will want a real drastic change to the country. We are just not hungry enough.
 

Conqueror

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No War = Lax

they don't get it lah. if saf, can do ndp year after year, with all the logistics and pomp, they can do smrt. that's their reasoning.


It seems like officers who are in charge of logistics and maintenance should know the consequence of affecting any military operation.

But, the military operation's efficiency and reliability can be slightly different from the civilian one. Military one is a bit lax though it may seems to be more important than the civilian one.
 

tualingong

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Re: No War = Lax

all his years of military obedience trainings dun provide him with creative solutions for such situations.
 

Bigfuck

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
This will be an expose on how weak SAF and Singapore is. Makes our foreign adversaries more aggressive. With out maids, our generals will go into depression and our technicians for our military equipment cannot even hold their spanners.
 

giggity_shit

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Loyal
they don't get it lah. if saf, can do ndp year after year, with all the logistics and pomp, they can do smrt. that's their reasoning.

Not only that, they forget SAF only concentrate on expending full budget. They dont undestand what is maintaining productivity and welfare
 

RoyMcFarland

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Loyal
Just because General or Colonel so and so does a great job in logistics and/or human resources in the Army does'nt mean shit in the outside world. Your rank and the total obedience of your men under you will ensure that the work gets down, no matter how inefficient, unproductive or unpopular the tasks are. And trust me, there's a lot of inefficient wastage in the Army, especially in logistics.

In the private sector, you have to motivate, cajole and explain to your workers. There have been numerous examples of ex Generals screwing up in GLCs and the Civil Service.
 

batman1

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Loyal
Just because General or Colonel so and so does a great job in logistics and/or human resources in the Army does'nt mean shit in the outside world. Your rank and the total obedience of your men under you will ensure that the work gets down, no matter how inefficient, unproductive or unpopular the tasks are. And trust me, there's a lot of inefficient wastage in the Army, especially in logistics.

In the private sector, you have to motivate, cajole and explain to your workers. There have been numerous examples of ex Generals screwing up in GLCs and the Civil Service.

The ex-Generals and ex-Admirals allotted to civilian posts in GLSs are cho-bo-lan appointemnts just to make sure they collect their high salaries and bonuses and they don't disturb and threaten the regime.Yeah u can always find them at the staff canteen smoking and drinking while the workers are slogging out a fair day's work for a fair day's wage.
 
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