SBF Toa Payoh Studios
2nd December 2012
Series 02/12
SBF: Good Morning Minister, welcome to SBF Hardtalk, the no-holds-barred with decision makers and leaders of Singapore.
DS: Sorry, I am not a minister.
SBF: But MOM PR dept called and asked us to do an interview with the general.
DS: Wrong General. you must think that I am CJ, Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, of MOM.
SBF: Oh! My apologies General, Why did MOM arrange this interview.
DS: Please call me Des. i have had issues with my PR dept and I asked my ex staff to arrange this.
SBF: Des, could you bear with me, I am struggling here. why are you being interviewed.
DS: Its about SMRT bus drivers strike, I would like the opportunity to clear things.
SBF: Yeah, I know about the strike but what has that got to do with you. All I remember is that MOM, MHA and later the lady from SMRT made some comments. Also the attention whore Eugene from SMU had to let go his load as well.
DS: I am the CEO of SMRT, I just returned mid week from overseas. Were you not aware of my visit to the Dorm?
SBF: Oh! I actually went away to Bataam for a holiday with my family and after the arrest of the 4 chaps on Thursday, I did not keep in touch with further developments. I just got back this morning on the first ferry.
DS: Frankly as a journalist that is not acceptable. Journalists and their organisations must always keep their lines of communications open. You are paid a salary to undertake an important role for society.
SBF: Come on, lets be objective about this.
DS: I am. i am humble enough to a knowledge that before attending Oxford and Harvard, I was not as sharp, decisive or had the right acumen to sense the line of approach. I have come a long way. What you did is not excusable. You are not a hawker or a shoes salesman. You serve the public. Why take on a vocation and a job that you are not keen on.
SBF: Des, this is character assassination. I am prepared to concede I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
DS: that is not how the general public will take this. Lets move on to the questions.
SBF: Fair enough.
SBF: So what happened in the Dorm.
DS: I rushed over to the Dorm as soon as my arrival back in Singapore. Its always important to go to the source of the problem. I am hands-on man, things that are easily done by me I do not delegate.
SBF: What did you find out DS?
DS: Jesus! They speak Mandarin in a very different way. These guys must have come from remote villages. Nevertheless I persevered and noted that they felt slighted being considered second class.
SBF: Des, let me be frank - we know all that. This is the single biggest event since the Mas Selamat escape. It captivated the nation. Thousands of commuters had their Monday morning journey to their workplace disrupted or never made it.
DS: Come on lets not boil the ocean with this. We immediately activated the stand-by crews and they bravely took on the challenge.
SBF: Could you tell us how many of the 171 buses had ready replacement with no interruption in service and how many stand-by drivers turned up.
DS: I don't have the figures at hand.
SBF: Des, you are struggling. You are a former SAF Chief, you have a weak link in your chain while in combat, don't you know if that gap was covered adequately.
DS: Lets not get overly dramatic. Its a fucking bus service. Its a glitch. We will fix it. I am confident.
SBF: I will be worried if you are not confident. .
DS: i put my mouth where my money is. Period.
SBF: Damn! Thats hard talk Des. Impressive.
DS: I make no excuses, thats me - Desmond Kuek Bak Chye.
SBF: Damn again - more hard talk, brilliant.
SBF: So how come you went on holiday shortly after your appointment. It is convention when moving onto a new role, to take a break, a holiday before immersing oneself in the new tole. As SMRT had a string of failures, do you not think it was prudent to put your nose to the grindstone. Or least until you were confident that everything was ticking.
DS: Ah! ( completely shocked, saliva dripping from the sides),
SBF: So what sense did you garner in your short presence in SMRT to have that confidence to go to Hawaii.
DS: We had Halimah and Ong Ye Kung, both NTUC top honchos, both on our board. Though Halimah left recently, I am sure these people would have done all they could.
SBF: When did you book the holiday.
DS: It was planned some time ago, before I even went to SMRT.
SBF: Do you know why you are paid such a high salary.
DS: I think we are going into dangerous ground here. Lets stick to the matter at hand.
SBF: So tell our readers and listeners what is the matter at hand.
DS: The long and short of it is that industrial peace has been taken for granted. There are lessons for all to learn. The commuter has to realise that disruption will occur once in a while. The Govt and SMRT can so much but we cannot be there all the time for everyone.
SBF: We heard of this philosophy. We call it - you die your business.
DS: I would not put it that bluntly.
SBF: Last question Des, the acting CEO of SMRT after the Saw debacle told a press conference that I attended that a global search will be done for the new CEO.
DS: Yes.
SBF: You should have heard the press contingent in the room. everyone was stunned. It was against the grain as we all thought that it will be a scholar as is the practice. I actually muttered rather loudly -"global search meh!". I was chided by a colleague for being too loud.
DS: Yes, it was global search.
SBF: So you are telling our listeners that the headhunters were calling up Perm Secs. Seems rather odd.
DS: i was told I was picked on merit. you have to ask the Board.
SBF: Des, we have to close off and I would like to thank you for your patience, your honesty and your detached sense of reality that is so uncommon these days.
Des: Pleasure is mine. Remember what I told you about opening your lines of communications when you are away. You owe it Singaporeans.
SBF: Thank you for the advice. ( muttering under the breath - "need your advice as much as I need a hole in my head, you fucking overpaid arsehole")
2nd December 2012
Series 02/12
SBF: Good Morning Minister, welcome to SBF Hardtalk, the no-holds-barred with decision makers and leaders of Singapore.
DS: Sorry, I am not a minister.
SBF: But MOM PR dept called and asked us to do an interview with the general.
DS: Wrong General. you must think that I am CJ, Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, of MOM.
SBF: Oh! My apologies General, Why did MOM arrange this interview.
DS: Please call me Des. i have had issues with my PR dept and I asked my ex staff to arrange this.
SBF: Des, could you bear with me, I am struggling here. why are you being interviewed.
DS: Its about SMRT bus drivers strike, I would like the opportunity to clear things.
SBF: Yeah, I know about the strike but what has that got to do with you. All I remember is that MOM, MHA and later the lady from SMRT made some comments. Also the attention whore Eugene from SMU had to let go his load as well.
DS: I am the CEO of SMRT, I just returned mid week from overseas. Were you not aware of my visit to the Dorm?
SBF: Oh! I actually went away to Bataam for a holiday with my family and after the arrest of the 4 chaps on Thursday, I did not keep in touch with further developments. I just got back this morning on the first ferry.
DS: Frankly as a journalist that is not acceptable. Journalists and their organisations must always keep their lines of communications open. You are paid a salary to undertake an important role for society.
SBF: Come on, lets be objective about this.
DS: I am. i am humble enough to a knowledge that before attending Oxford and Harvard, I was not as sharp, decisive or had the right acumen to sense the line of approach. I have come a long way. What you did is not excusable. You are not a hawker or a shoes salesman. You serve the public. Why take on a vocation and a job that you are not keen on.
SBF: Des, this is character assassination. I am prepared to concede I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
DS: that is not how the general public will take this. Lets move on to the questions.
SBF: Fair enough.
SBF: So what happened in the Dorm.
DS: I rushed over to the Dorm as soon as my arrival back in Singapore. Its always important to go to the source of the problem. I am hands-on man, things that are easily done by me I do not delegate.
SBF: What did you find out DS?
DS: Jesus! They speak Mandarin in a very different way. These guys must have come from remote villages. Nevertheless I persevered and noted that they felt slighted being considered second class.
SBF: Des, let me be frank - we know all that. This is the single biggest event since the Mas Selamat escape. It captivated the nation. Thousands of commuters had their Monday morning journey to their workplace disrupted or never made it.
DS: Come on lets not boil the ocean with this. We immediately activated the stand-by crews and they bravely took on the challenge.
SBF: Could you tell us how many of the 171 buses had ready replacement with no interruption in service and how many stand-by drivers turned up.
DS: I don't have the figures at hand.
SBF: Des, you are struggling. You are a former SAF Chief, you have a weak link in your chain while in combat, don't you know if that gap was covered adequately.
DS: Lets not get overly dramatic. Its a fucking bus service. Its a glitch. We will fix it. I am confident.
SBF: I will be worried if you are not confident. .
DS: i put my mouth where my money is. Period.
SBF: Damn! Thats hard talk Des. Impressive.
DS: I make no excuses, thats me - Desmond Kuek Bak Chye.
SBF: Damn again - more hard talk, brilliant.
SBF: So how come you went on holiday shortly after your appointment. It is convention when moving onto a new role, to take a break, a holiday before immersing oneself in the new tole. As SMRT had a string of failures, do you not think it was prudent to put your nose to the grindstone. Or least until you were confident that everything was ticking.
DS: Ah! ( completely shocked, saliva dripping from the sides),
SBF: So what sense did you garner in your short presence in SMRT to have that confidence to go to Hawaii.
DS: We had Halimah and Ong Ye Kung, both NTUC top honchos, both on our board. Though Halimah left recently, I am sure these people would have done all they could.
SBF: When did you book the holiday.
DS: It was planned some time ago, before I even went to SMRT.
SBF: Do you know why you are paid such a high salary.
DS: I think we are going into dangerous ground here. Lets stick to the matter at hand.
SBF: So tell our readers and listeners what is the matter at hand.
DS: The long and short of it is that industrial peace has been taken for granted. There are lessons for all to learn. The commuter has to realise that disruption will occur once in a while. The Govt and SMRT can so much but we cannot be there all the time for everyone.
SBF: We heard of this philosophy. We call it - you die your business.
DS: I would not put it that bluntly.
SBF: Last question Des, the acting CEO of SMRT after the Saw debacle told a press conference that I attended that a global search will be done for the new CEO.
DS: Yes.
SBF: You should have heard the press contingent in the room. everyone was stunned. It was against the grain as we all thought that it will be a scholar as is the practice. I actually muttered rather loudly -"global search meh!". I was chided by a colleague for being too loud.
DS: Yes, it was global search.
SBF: So you are telling our listeners that the headhunters were calling up Perm Secs. Seems rather odd.
DS: i was told I was picked on merit. you have to ask the Board.
SBF: Des, we have to close off and I would like to thank you for your patience, your honesty and your detached sense of reality that is so uncommon these days.
Des: Pleasure is mine. Remember what I told you about opening your lines of communications when you are away. You owe it Singaporeans.
SBF: Thank you for the advice. ( muttering under the breath - "need your advice as much as I need a hole in my head, you fucking overpaid arsehole")
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