[h=2]Ex-Chief of Defence Force and SAF Scholar to be new SMRT CEO[/h]
July 29th, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek
Mr Desmond Kuek, 48, a former Chief of Defence Force and SAF scholar will likely be appointed as SMRT CEO taking over the position vacated by Saw Phaik Hwa.
Kuek is currently the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. He is slated to leave the elite Administrative Service on 30 Sep. The Public Service Division has announced in June that Kuek wanted to ‘explore new opportunities in the private sector in a career change’.
When contacted yesterday, Kuek said he was still waiting to hear from SMRT. SMRT, as a matter of procedure, has to write in to inform LTA of any CEO appointments. It is understood that SMRT will be making an announcement soon.
Saw Phaik Hwa quit a month after two major MRT breakdowns that triggered a high-level COI hearing. Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew has also admitted that his Ministry and LTA have fallen short in their responsibilities to keep SMRT in check.
Minister Lui said, “SMRT’s maintenance regime had shortcomings, but we too – both MoT, as the supervising ministry, and LTA, as the regulator – have to shoulder our share of the responsibility. We could have done more, and could have done better… I give the House my assurance that we will spare no effort to improve.”
However, no penalties or whatsoever befall Lui, Saw or Chew Hock Yong (LTA’s Chief) from the incident.
In fact, as CEO of SMRT, Saw Phaik Hwa was paid very well. She earned enough from her years as SMRT’s CEO to buy for herself, a landed property off Lornie Road, a Ferrari California ($780,000) and a Mercedes-Benz 500 (S500L costs $485,888), according to a media interview she gave on 18 Mar. She also revealed that she earned $1.85 million in remuneration in 2010. Other than the million dollars of salary she is getting, in her resignation filing with SGX, she also disclosed that she she owned 1,084,100 ordinary shares in SMRT Corporation.
No doubt, Desmond Kuek as new CEO of SMRT is expected to be similarly “rewarded” too.
Kuek will be the third SMRT chief executive to come from the military. The two previous ones were ex-naval chief Kwek Siew Jin and ex-army chief Boey Tak Hap. Only Saw Phaik Hwa did not come from the military. She came from Duty Free Shop.
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Mr Desmond Kuek, 48, a former Chief of Defence Force and SAF scholar will likely be appointed as SMRT CEO taking over the position vacated by Saw Phaik Hwa.
Kuek is currently the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. He is slated to leave the elite Administrative Service on 30 Sep. The Public Service Division has announced in June that Kuek wanted to ‘explore new opportunities in the private sector in a career change’.
When contacted yesterday, Kuek said he was still waiting to hear from SMRT. SMRT, as a matter of procedure, has to write in to inform LTA of any CEO appointments. It is understood that SMRT will be making an announcement soon.
Saw Phaik Hwa quit a month after two major MRT breakdowns that triggered a high-level COI hearing. Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew has also admitted that his Ministry and LTA have fallen short in their responsibilities to keep SMRT in check.
Minister Lui said, “SMRT’s maintenance regime had shortcomings, but we too – both MoT, as the supervising ministry, and LTA, as the regulator – have to shoulder our share of the responsibility. We could have done more, and could have done better… I give the House my assurance that we will spare no effort to improve.”
However, no penalties or whatsoever befall Lui, Saw or Chew Hock Yong (LTA’s Chief) from the incident.
In fact, as CEO of SMRT, Saw Phaik Hwa was paid very well. She earned enough from her years as SMRT’s CEO to buy for herself, a landed property off Lornie Road, a Ferrari California ($780,000) and a Mercedes-Benz 500 (S500L costs $485,888), according to a media interview she gave on 18 Mar. She also revealed that she earned $1.85 million in remuneration in 2010. Other than the million dollars of salary she is getting, in her resignation filing with SGX, she also disclosed that she she owned 1,084,100 ordinary shares in SMRT Corporation.
No doubt, Desmond Kuek as new CEO of SMRT is expected to be similarly “rewarded” too.
Kuek will be the third SMRT chief executive to come from the military. The two previous ones were ex-naval chief Kwek Siew Jin and ex-army chief Boey Tak Hap. Only Saw Phaik Hwa did not come from the military. She came from Duty Free Shop.
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Who is Desmond Kuek?
Desmond Kuek is a former Singapore military officer. He was the sixth Chief of Defence Force (CDF) of SAF. He relinquished his appointment on 31 Mar 2010 to become Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
Kuek received his then-appointment as CDF on 23 Mar 2007, having previously held the appointment of Chief of Army. On 1 Jul 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Career and education
Kuek joined the SAF on 21 Dec 1981 after completing his studies at Anglo-Chinese School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College, and was awarded an SAF Overseas Scholarship in 1982. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Master of Arts in engineering science from the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master of Public Administration in macroeconomics and statistics from Harvard University.
In 1985, he attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was awarded the Distinguished Allied Leadership Graduate. He completed Armoured Reconnaissance Officer Cadet Course and Armour Officer Advanced Course subsequently. He also topped both the Company Tactics Course and Battalion Tactics Course conducted at the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (SAFTI) in Singapore. He has completed Basic Airborne Course and Underwater Diving Course. In 1991, he attended the Command and Staff Course at Camberley Staff College, United Kingdom; after completing a series of junior command and instructional appointments in Armour, as well as a staff appointment in the Joint Operations and Planning Directorate.
In the course of his military career, Kuek commanded the 41st SAR in 1992, the 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade in 1994 and the 3rd Singapore Combined Arms Division in 1998. He also held command of the 54th Singapore Armoured Brigade, an operationally ready National Service Brigade, for a major overseas exercise in 1993. He has also held a number of key staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence and SAF. As Head of the Defence Studies Department in the Ministry’s Policy Office from 1993–94, he was responsible for defence policy research and information management. As the Assistant Chief of General Staff (for Operations) from 1995–97, he contributed to the high level of operational readiness and planning in the Army. He was appointed the Director of the Joint Intelligence Directorate in the SAF from November 2000 to March 2003, and concurrently held the appointment of Chief of Staff (General Staff) from September 2002 to March 2003.
Kuek also held concurrently the appointment of Military Personal Secretary to the Minister for Defence for two years from 1989 to 1991; and was an Honorary Aide de Camp to Presidents Wee Kim Wee and Ong Teng Cheong from 1992 to 1994. In 2000, he chaired the Executive Committee to organise the millennium National Day celebrations, which included the National Day Parade at the Padang, the Carnival at Marina Bay and the Maritime Review – a series of events commended by President S.R. Nathan as “a stupendous success”.He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Military) (Gold) in 2002.
Before assuming the post of Chief of Defence Force, Kuek was appointed Chief of Army (COA) on 1 April 2003. As COA, he steered the Army towards organisational excellence, transforming its force structure to enhance operational efficiency and eliciting peak performance from servicemen through the L.I.V.E (Leadership and Learning, Image and Identity, Values and positive Experience) movement. He significantly improved the Army’s combat capability, especially in the areas of command and control, firepower and urban operations.
.Desmond Kuek is a former Singapore military officer. He was the sixth Chief of Defence Force (CDF) of SAF. He relinquished his appointment on 31 Mar 2010 to become Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
Kuek received his then-appointment as CDF on 23 Mar 2007, having previously held the appointment of Chief of Army. On 1 Jul 2007, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Career and education
Kuek joined the SAF on 21 Dec 1981 after completing his studies at Anglo-Chinese School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College, and was awarded an SAF Overseas Scholarship in 1982. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a Master of Arts in engineering science from the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master of Public Administration in macroeconomics and statistics from Harvard University.
In 1985, he attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was awarded the Distinguished Allied Leadership Graduate. He completed Armoured Reconnaissance Officer Cadet Course and Armour Officer Advanced Course subsequently. He also topped both the Company Tactics Course and Battalion Tactics Course conducted at the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (SAFTI) in Singapore. He has completed Basic Airborne Course and Underwater Diving Course. In 1991, he attended the Command and Staff Course at Camberley Staff College, United Kingdom; after completing a series of junior command and instructional appointments in Armour, as well as a staff appointment in the Joint Operations and Planning Directorate.
In the course of his military career, Kuek commanded the 41st SAR in 1992, the 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade in 1994 and the 3rd Singapore Combined Arms Division in 1998. He also held command of the 54th Singapore Armoured Brigade, an operationally ready National Service Brigade, for a major overseas exercise in 1993. He has also held a number of key staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence and SAF. As Head of the Defence Studies Department in the Ministry’s Policy Office from 1993–94, he was responsible for defence policy research and information management. As the Assistant Chief of General Staff (for Operations) from 1995–97, he contributed to the high level of operational readiness and planning in the Army. He was appointed the Director of the Joint Intelligence Directorate in the SAF from November 2000 to March 2003, and concurrently held the appointment of Chief of Staff (General Staff) from September 2002 to March 2003.
Kuek also held concurrently the appointment of Military Personal Secretary to the Minister for Defence for two years from 1989 to 1991; and was an Honorary Aide de Camp to Presidents Wee Kim Wee and Ong Teng Cheong from 1992 to 1994. In 2000, he chaired the Executive Committee to organise the millennium National Day celebrations, which included the National Day Parade at the Padang, the Carnival at Marina Bay and the Maritime Review – a series of events commended by President S.R. Nathan as “a stupendous success”.He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Military) (Gold) in 2002.
Before assuming the post of Chief of Defence Force, Kuek was appointed Chief of Army (COA) on 1 April 2003. As COA, he steered the Army towards organisational excellence, transforming its force structure to enhance operational efficiency and eliciting peak performance from servicemen through the L.I.V.E (Leadership and Learning, Image and Identity, Values and positive Experience) movement. He significantly improved the Army’s combat capability, especially in the areas of command and control, firepower and urban operations.
