SMRT chief to tap military men for key
posts
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.
The Straits Times, Thursday December 6 2012, Pg A1
