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Government ministers doing ‘all the work’?

I refer to the report, “Khaw ‘deeply sorry’ for first major incident involving new MRT signalling system” (Nov 15).

TODAY file photo.

TODAY file photo.

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Joe Ng Boon Leng

I refer to the report, “Khaw ‘deeply sorry’ for first major incident involving new MRT signalling system” (Nov 15).

I am really wondering why the Transport Minister has to apologise and not the SMRT management. Is the transport company not responsible and relying on a third party to advise them what to do?

Shutting down the Tuas extension line for checks, visiting the injured, getting Taiwan experts to review the operations, getting defence engineers to look into problems, etc — all these appear to be initiated by the Government or the Land Transport Authority.

Even for the employees suspended or investigated by SMRT, there are no still answers as to how long they have been working with the company and why they would jeopardise their own rice bowls by their negligence.

I do believe that the majority of SMRT’s employees want the company to be successful. What they need is good direction. This cannot be coming from expensive foreign consultants but the company itself.

I would quote former Economic Development Board chairman Philip Yeo in his biography, Neither Civil Nor Servant – The Philip Yeo Story: “Today, ministers overwork – doing everything and appearing everywhere. When there were issues with CPF, the minister answered. Where was the CPF chairman? When the trains broke down, the minister answered. Where was the SMRT chairman? In the past, the civil servants would take charge.”

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