LTA chief exec Chew Men Leong quits barely 2 years into job

SINGAPORE — Land Transport Authority (LTA) chief executive Chew Men Leong — who oversaw the rollout of the bus contracting framework and the push towards autonomous vehicle technology, among other things — announced his resignation on Friday (Aug 5), less than two years into his tenure.

Since taking the helm in October 2014, Mr Chew, 48, has had to deal with several challenging issues, such as the potential environmental impact of the Cross Island Line’s proposed alignment and the public outcry over the return of 26 defective trains to China for repairs. In an email to LTA staff on Friday evening, Mr Chew said he had tendered his resignation from the Administrative Service as well as his current appointment as the LTA’s chief executive, reported Channel NewsAsia.

Mr Chew wrote: “I will be making a change of career over to the private sector in the coming months after 30 years of fulfilling public service.”

He also thanked his staff for “the extraordinary efforts (they) put in to serve commuters better”.

In response to media queries, a Ministry of Transport (MOT) spokesperson said: “MOT confirms Mr Chew Men Leong has tendered his resignation and will be joining the private sector. A formal announcement on Mr Chew’s successor will be made at a later date.”

There is talk that Mr Chew will be joining Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine. When contacted, Ms Zann Chua, a spokesperson for the homegrown engineering group, said it was unable to comment on speculation. Prior to joining the LTA, Mr Chew was with the Singapore Armed Forces for 25 years, including nearly four years as Chief of Navy. 

He was appointed the chief executive of PUB, the national water agency, in December 2011 before moving to the LTA about three years later. 

His predecessor, Mr Chew Hock Yong, remained in the post for four years, after taking the reins from Mr Yam Ah Mee, who served for five years. Commenting on Mr Chew’s departure, National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der-Horng said he was both surprised and disappointed. “His predecessor stayed for four years. He’s not even two years in,” he added. 

Prof Lee lauded Mr Chew for taking “bold” steps in the Government’s venture into autonomous vehicle technology, and for leading an apparent change in the LTA’s culture towards being more research-centric.

With bus infrastructure and rail operating assets coming under the Government’s management, the LTA’s incoming chief executive will have to juggle “far more responsibility” than his predecessors, said UniSIM urban transport expert Park Byung Joon.

“After the bus contracting model and the new rail financing model, LTA’s responsibilities are going to be much bigger. They’re not just a regulator anymore. They (will have to handle) buses and rail operations. There is going to be a big challenge,” he added.