12/12/2017

SMRT CEO needs more supervision

Whether he needs more supervision or more help it doesn’t matter. When an organization hires a CEO and pays him millions, top dollars, the least expected is that he must be able to do the job, if not, to even bring it to a higher level. What Cynical Investor wrote in the below article has his points. The article is reposted in the TRE with the title, ‘Wah lan SMRT CEO so cock is it?’
 


‘Scholar and ex-SAF commander is so useless that Khaw, Temasek and SMRT thinks he needs more supervision, a lot more….
If he’s so in need of supervision, why not fire him? Or cut his salary by half? Meritocracy? What meritocracy?...
Here’s how MediaCorp reported the story. ST’s report is along similar lines so maybe there was a dictator dictating the narrative?
‘Temasek-backed Pavilion Energy’s CEO Seah Moon Ming will step down to focus on his role as chairman of train operator SMRT.’ CNA
That shows that Temasek thinks he needs more supervision.’

The rot has gone down so deep that no one can see anything wrong with the appointment of Seah Moon Ming as full time chairman of SMRT when so many new hires, all being paid in the millions or a few hundred thousands each and still no improvement. Why pay so much for so little or non performance, and keeps on paying, and bringing bigger guns to be millions more? Is this Seah better than super fixer Khaw Boon Wan?
 

This is how bad things are now. No accountability, no responsibility, just keep throwing money at the problem like throwing money into a bottomless pit as if it is normal. This is the new normal of collecting million dollar salaries and enjoying life without a care of how things work or did not work.
 

What if Seah Moon Ming cannot produce any result, hire a few more millionaires?
 

This is unbelieveable.
 

The other unbelieveable thing is that no one cares how Desmond Kuek feels. Hey, he was the Chief of Defence Forces, commanding the Air Force, Navy, Army and all the supporting arms. He is no little spring chicken. He is someone proven to be able and capable. The fact that Boon Wan has to tackle the problems of SMRT is a smack on Desmond Kuek’s ability to handle the problems. The fact that after being on the job for 5 years and now they threw in another aged chicken as the full time chairman to solve the perennial unstoppable problems is another way to say Desmond Kuek needs help. 

KNN, being paid in the millions, ex Chief of Defence Forces needs help from two without any experience in running a mass rapid transport system. What do all these things say about the handling of this saga? I can’t fault Desmond Kuek for it as he was not really in charge. There are bigger cooks in the kitchen.
 

Appointing a top brass, presuming the best guy for the job, paid him millions and not allowing him to do the job, unbelieveable.

PS. Before I am accused of over simplification, there are two assumptions in this episode. One, when a person is successful in his profession, he is assumed to be successful in any profession, even in things he has no training or experience in. The second assumption is that when one becomes a politician, better still a minister, one becomes a knows all, or even better, an expert in every field, with or without training or experience. These two assumptions form the basis of this fiction that is being played in real life.

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

They think they should have no accountability because they are "volunteers" for the jobs !

virgo49 said...

Desmond is just a front guy to hold the fort.

They knew his predecessos screwed up big time.

And many are kia kee kakis who know nothing of operating a sophisticated MRT business.

So, cannot sack him. Sweet words he volunteered for the tasks.

If not, backfired to who are the real culprits.

These egoist elites thinks just because they studied with many degrees, they can do any jobs with sure good results.

Many are just dumb parrots who scored high but lacked real human intuition in real life professions.

You need real professionals in same line of training to have a feel of what's you doing.

Not a Doctor as Defence Minister etc.

Round pegs in square holes.

Anonymous said...

Supervision or slap him if he falls asleep? If the left hand is to slap the right hand I think the problem will get worse.

This is a PAP disease called cronyism. They have to create more and more high paying jobs for PAP retired ministers and MPs, SAF paper generals, bootlickers, applepolishers, marble carriers etc. That is why more money is needed and more tax is coming our way.

This disease already manifested itself when they had to have so many ministers in the PMO. Can they keep on creating more ministers and what are they going to call them? Oh yes, minister mentor for transport ministers, emeritus senior minister for senior ministers and the list goes on. Nowhere else in the world do we have that kind of title but only in red dot.


Anonymous said...

---> The other unbelieveable thing is that no one cares how Desmond Kuek feels.
Hey, he was the Chief of Defence Forces, commanding the Air Force, Navy, Army and all the supporting arms. <----

POLITICAL JOKE
---------------
Exactly.
You better don't play, play.
Otherwise, you wake up tomorrow and you got the new Kuek Dynasty in government.

Anonymous said...


Hello all........

Don't play play!

He is the ex-commander of Sg army!

What is smrt to saf! Wet wet water!

His current salary is peanut! Much tooooooooooooo low!

He should be paid very very much more.

He is a real local talent!

He is the best-EST man for the job!

Should pay him more than now!

Should pay him more than now!

No regret! No regret!

OK?


Anonymous said...

/// Like Dr Goh (Keng Swee), I don’t believe people can change.
So the best way to change an organisation is to burn it down and start afresh.
That means I sack the whole lot of managers.
In every organisation, there are three types of people: the emperors at the top, the workers at the bottom, and the eunuchs in the middle. ///

http://thepeakmagazine.com.sg/interviews/former-edb-chairman-philip-yeos-latest-book-sheds-light-leadership-pitfalls/

Anonymous said...

Sooner or later this little red dot will be like - Too many Cooks spoils the soup.

But they the Chef don't care & the ones eating the soup will have a taste of it. One Oppo already said - U got the Chefs that u deserve ; so suck it up & dun kpkb..

Anonymous said...

The word volunteer makes all laugh. Sometimes our ministers really screwed up by using such an unbelievable word. No one will volunteer for a million dollar job. You just simply take up the offer because no one else will offer you another job except GLC. Its a reward and not because he is capable.

Anonymous said...

An alternative system for SMRT to consider
------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
I question the decision to invest $195 million in the new signal system for the NS and EW lines.

I find the amount to be excessive. I also dislike the many instances of "signal faults" that caused the frequent disruption in the train services and the collision at Joo Koon station.

By: Tan Kin Lian

http://tankinlian.blogspot.sg/2017/12/an-alternative-system-for-smrt-to.html

Anonymous said...

@ December 12, 2017 10:01 am

Do you think he was the only crony General who was willing to "accept" the appointment?
Do you think that is why he is called a "volunteer"?

Anonymous said...

Alright, do not complain. Our MRT system is a voluntering setup. The CEO is a volunteer. The Minister of Transport is a volunteer. Hell, maybe all the senior hotshots are volunteers. How can we complain when they are all volunteers? Too much complaints and no one will volunteer.

But with that kind of salary, I believe it does not have to work on the basis of volunteering.
Just don't get volunteers who knows nothing about the job and put him on the job. And do not deny people who are really knowledgeble about the job and put them out of job. The whole system is rotting from the inside with too much inbreeding and cronyism.

Thing improve on getting the best people for the job. Not on political ideology of denying those who diagree with the system because they have difference of opinion. Yes men are not always the best.

Virgo49 said...


DONT know how much they also pay for the Checkpoints at Land and Airports System which Cock up every other day

At Airport, one ang mo like Franco with one Chinese SINKIE tampering with screw ups that kiosks can not tracked.

Wasting tax payers MONIES.

Anonymous said...

Hi Virgo49

Wasting taxpayers money is no problem for them. Loosing billions in taxpayer's money is also not a problem for them.

Need more money just squeze the daft by imposing more taxes. The dafts never squeak or squeal. They deserved the Government they voted for. They loved to be screwed in every direction.

Anonymous said...

hi 1020am

how about people also volunter to take buses whenever there is a breakdown

so frequent breakdowns are OK lah

no sweat no sweat

hahaha,,,,,,,

Rocket said...

He who always got what he wanted in childhood, knowing no dirth of financial problems to self and family, when become a propped-up leader given absolute powers, will subconsciously do whatever he wants in any way absolutely according to his ingrained childish fantasies, irrespective of the masses' hardships and sufferings. Such leaders are no leaders but self-centred parasites living off the ignorance, patience, kindness and goodwill of the masses!

Anonymous said...

Every day talks are on mrt. Its good for the dragon son to cover the short fall in jobs for real citizens, salary at 20 years back, slave like NS pocket money, all sweep under the mrt breakdown talks. How nice. Mrt best breakdown every other week. It is a plot. Will rich sinkies surprised by the 1 billion buy-bus that reach end 1000th buses, the same mouth now wanted to increase taxes? How come no money liao? Reserved has trillions dollars.

The mrt is easy to solve. To understand it fast: a restaurant boss appoint a retired army general as executive chef to run the kitchen. All the staff are happy like birthday party. The executive chef cannot even identify what is fresh salmon what is high end cutting machines, what is low, what chemicals are more expensive than the other. So the orders on materials can be ordered A but deliver A- or B. All are accepted and paid. The real chefs also cook in different way, sometimes with salt sometimes without. All are passed to customers.

The model of a heavy engineering firm running trains can work out well for customers? It cannot work. When the dragon son hired the sales woman to do ceo for the heavy engineering company, it was an intention to fuck this company up, in army term. Its like hiring a sales woman to manage multiple Brigades consisting of armors, heavy arti/missiles and infantry. Can the sales woman know which sound is arty firing and what rounds have landed? So the salewoman was a front show as general. The soldiers did what they want and what they think is right.

This two examples said enough of the mrt problems. What mrt need to do is to change the top levels. Hire the Taiwan mrt staff, pay them like Goahead. Commission them to manage the mrt for sinkies. One can save millions of dollars when looking at what the Taiwan mrt staff (tip top staff)are paid. The problem can be solved. But then, there will be attention back to citizens unemployment, low salary to pay high flat price bills. These problems are for the dragon son to answer. Do u think he is smart or stupid to solve the mrt problem?
Passing the bus management to govt control instead of private company control was first raised by WP Sylvia lim. Her suggestion was shot down in parliament. Now the mrt and bus are under govt control. Readers should see the elite generals scholars are empty in idea to manage these organizations. The ex general resigned as minister. Now the cow show face but he cannot fix anything except keep talking to get spot lights. Remember he wanted to start a train academy. its a good idea collect a database of knowledge and people to run the trains. Where is it? Cow does not want to see people get degree in train engineering, may be. ITE in train repair also need not. So cow has no energy to do any thing solid. But he likes the spot light. When trains in "contact", cow and the general never show face. After many days, cow started to talk in people s side to gain political points.
Cow is worst than the previous general. When there was big breakdown, the previous general at least show face at the scene to check. But by doing so, he did not gain political points.

Be prepare to vote pap if readers do not mind trains breakdown shows every few weeks. Take it as good excuses for late to work. Its a "deep seeded culture" being late with good excuses, including exam time. Sinkies intelligence cannot compare to NK. The latter has hwasong15 to showcase, the former has mrt breakdowns as showcase. This is the proof beyond words.

Anonymous said...


Talk-of-the-town!

Sg is very very very famous liao,,,,,,,

Everywhere you go,,,,,,

Sg = MRT!

MRT = Sg!

This is Sg GOOD reputation liao,,,,,,,

Cheers!


Anonymous said...

I think Singapore is more powerful than North Korea.

North Korea got nuclear missiles so what?

Singapore got MRT and crony generals all over the Singapore economy.
Our enemies all die laughing even before the first shot is fired.

Do you think LKY's legend and legacy is being exposed for what it really is ... a fairy tale?

Anonymous said...

1:11pm
Living person likes to always bring back the dead one. This is pathetic to the hardcore pap voters. To the non pap voters, current is the intentional making of the dead one. It reflects the simplistic of the dead s minds. He ruled too long without re education. Using ideas learned in the 30s till 60s can apply to current world problems in the 80s to 2000? That is the real consequence pap voters have to face. They voted outdated minds. The same problem carry forward to the son. Pap voters are fools and too tamed to look for alternative candidates. U often see in post talking about the dead. They did not link the current problems are the exact creations of the same dead man.

Someone will show his face during coming election. Hopefully some new voters will find the video s shouting shameful and pointless. Will the dead help to solve the living s problems?

Anonymous said...

@ December 12, 2017 1:38 pm

Hmmmm.
Do you think voting for PAP in GE 2020 is becoming more and more risky for Singaporeans?
And voting for Opposition is becoming less and less risky?

Anonymous said...

"SMRT CEO needs more supervision" - redbean

Maybe it's PAP who needs more supervision?
But who will supervise PAP?
Do you think it is the Opposition's job to supervise PAP?

Do you think it is Singaporeans' job to vote Opposition, so that the Opposition can supervise PAP?

Anonymous said...

Poor Khaw. He has been defending the PAP Govt and the SMRT CEO over the MRT problems.

Now where the hell is the CEO and what is he doing all this while? Quietly, not a squeak, and just sitting around and counting his millions like the former prataman? Is he real or just a paper cutout. He is a paper general, right. That is the problem. Just like cutout policemen.







b said...

Can always sue him for lack of duty and care or negligence and claim back the salaries thru a huge fine.

b said...

But we all know that the singapore and mrt is made for 3 million and not 6 million people. Thus the root of the problem is the ruling party not controlling population properly.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha

6 million is not all. They are talking about 10 million.

Now the root of the problem is not the ruling party but the 70% who voted them in. So probably must also sue the 70%.

But then, isn't it a case of ownself suing ownself.

Stange things are happening in red dot.

We have a Government that prides itself on ownself checking ownself and ownself praising ownself.

Soon it may progress to ownself elect ownself. How about ownself destroy ownself as someone said before.

Anonymous said...

@ December 12, 2017 4:02 pm

Why didn't the Opposition Parties supervise PAP when Saw Phaik Hwa was appointed CEO of SMRT?
Why didn't the Opposition Parties supervise PAP when Desmond Kuek was appointed CEO of SMRT?
Why didn't the Opposition Parties supervise PAP when Seah Moon Ming was appointed Chairman of SMRT?

CONCLUSION
-------------
It is the Opposition Parties' fault for not overseeing and supervising the PAP government.

It is the Opposition Parties' job to work for free while the PAP government (and "volunteers") are paid millions of dollars in salaries.

Opposition Parties must work for free and even get sued until pants drop.

Anonymous said...

3:59pm
Voters voting for the same pm is suicidal to their children s future. The same pm did not shoot out any plans for education, trade deals expectations with major markets like china, and direct foreign investments he targets to achieve. He talk easy. In talking to unionists, reports said he tumbled but didnt fall. Voters are fully responsible for voting for someone clinging on to power but is powerless to international leaders like china leaders, pinoys leaders, or indon leaders. These leaders dont like to associate with him as can be seen on their interactions.
When Trump walked in at Apec, he was at the back of the dragon son. Trump looked for Putin who walked pass and shake hands. Trump did not strike casual talk with the son. Of course, Trump knew the son bet on Obama and Hillary and not him.

Opposition has one credible party WP. It only put candidates up when they have volunteered for serving the constituents for years. This is a guarantee to voters. The candidates know the work and know the problems exist among the constituents.

Pap will give citizenship to foreigners in order to speed up foreigners to be mp to stand under and behind a minister in grc. This is an insult to citizen s intelligence. Voters vote for pap at their own risk. The more days pap is in power, the less countries in the regions will do deals in sinkieland s favor. U go to chinatown to look at tourists. The airport has good statistics. But how many are not in transit thro changi? Good buying power chinese tourists avoid sinkieland. China also cut off unionpay credit card in casinos. If voters expect japanese tourists and ang mor to buy things in shops in town, these voters are not educated and smart.
Sinkieland needs to change badly. Mrt is the results of the dragon son s illogical idea: put a saleswoman to takeover a heavy engineering firm. He also put a medical saleman took charge of the brand new Tigerair. How many remember this silly idea? The airline was gone. Not to forget the sudden add on of 3 millions foreigners to cause problems in schools, hospitals, roadsjams, and mrt plus buses.
They must go and sack by voters, especially the pap voters. They deserve sacking.
So dont ask if need to vote for opposition. Just avoid pap. U have only opposition and it is WP. Unfortunately, WP s a small party. So other like SDP will get the votes.

Anonymous said...

now I know it is our country's very very serious matter.
Thank you RB

b said...

Voters are not scholars or phds but the ruling party is full of those and they have all the data and information. Thus the blame is on the ruling party for letting so many migrants in.

b said...

Voters are not all highly paid and thus mistakes are possible but ruling party ministers are all highly paid and thus they cannot make simple mistakes such as how many migrants being let in. Cannot count up to millions ? better go back to primary schools and return all the salaries.

Anonymous said...


現实是無情的 爬的越高 踏的就越重 不經深思遠慮 去接受重任 任務若失敗 他人不怪你

你也難下台 這个包伏 就是耍你背 再美好的語言也是假的.

Anonymous said...

Red Bean....your 1st assumption , when someone is successful in their profession , he is assumed to be able to take on and be successful in any other profession even without the proper training and guidance .

I have this question to bring up for discussion.... how do we gauge that he is sucessful as a Chief of Defence Forces ? Just because he was promoted to this position and held on for some years means that the person is successful . Have'nt won any wars or being tested in any ways . Of course I do not meant we need nor hope for any wars to prove his capabilities , hence we cannot assumed that all these generals are indeed capable to the extend....that's my humble point of view . Just look at our national shipping line NOL , which is the pride of Singapore and now . Indeed , such was the performance of some of our ex-generals so to speak . Fortunately our SIA is still under the control of our talented and experienced Singaporean and not any ex-generals .

Anonymous said...

我想这好像是先上車,然後才補票,後果由女方呈担,這是不負責任的行为.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Anon 9:46, that's is why they are assumptions and assumptions can be right, can be wrong. What you stated confirmed that the assumptions are false or wrong and the results were disastrous.

Anonymous said...

There is a saying in the armed forces: One could be an ace in one area but a bum in another. Conversely, a bum in one place and an ace in another.

Anonymous said...

1. 1st class degrees can be achieved by rote learning & sheer memory power.
2. Skills can be achieved through diligence, painful experiences and failures.
3. Talents are specific, and are yet diverse, and each is different and one is given within limit and few and not across the board.
4. Wisdom is rare.
5. A good upright heart is even more rare.
Lying Pappies propaganda deceived many to believe the Old man and his Son & paper generals are all above, yet they also deceived themselves when they are far from truth. They have believed in their own lies.