Desmond Kuek - Leadership Failure

[scroobal]

How did a
- OMS scholar
- schooled in Oxford
- schooled in Harvard
- SAF 6th SAF Defence Chief
- member of elite Admin Service
- Permanent Secretary
- CEO of one of the biggest GLC

Failed to show his face in the midst of the crisis, absolutely no sound or picture, takes the first chance of a showing his face by turning it into a cheap publicity photo opportunity by visiting his staff at the dorm like Mother Theresa and then to end up having a third of his affected staff in detention in a prison. Fucking clueless or scared shitless or both.

How did we end up with such leaders. Even a moron would know when to turn up at a funeral.

 

[GOONDUSAMI]

Its not a crisis. Its a minor issue. If a CEO has to appear at every minor issue where only less than 5% of the bus services were affected, then who will take care of more important strategic direction of the company? Lets move on and not politicise this unnecessarily.

 

[Bigfuck]

I repeat, government scholars going to EU and States are usually of the lowest standards. The quid pro quo is we let you graduate as long as you do not stay behind to be professor and siah suay us. If you come back and give sia suay speeches we just say you have been away from the good education too long. Can you believe someone from some african University with library books on economics dated 1975 and no computers being able to graduate top in 2000s with pHD from Havard?

 

[Sir_Fcuk]

..... by visiting his staff at the dorm like Mother Theresa and then to end up having a third of his affected staff in detention in a prison. Fucking clueless or scared shitless or both.

Not Mother Theresa lah. He was busy playing wargames OK

 

[scroobal]

If someone cannot handle a minor issue, I worry. This guy was chief of the SAF at one time. We all have to worry how the cabinet ended up appointing him as the SAF chief. How did the selection mechanism throw him out as the best candidate. Or is he the best that we got.

Why did anyone tell him about the detention or was he aware and yet did not realise the implications of his action.

Why the Mother Theresa stunt?

Its not a crisis. Its a minor issue. If a CEO has to appear at every minor issue where only less than 5% of the bus services were affected, then who will take care of more important strategic direction of the company? Lets move on and not politicise this unnecessarily.

 

[scroobal]

Looks like the management in SMRT is in bad shape and not only the engineering side. How did the PR head end up doing this Mother Theresa stunt. I am sure Desmond Kuek was not visiting flood victims, the homeless after a fire, etc

A better photo opportunity is to have a press conference and acknowledge the internal failure and promise action. He took over in Oct, this occurred in Nov. Though the seed of this disaster was set earlier, the crisis occurred in his watch.

Not Mother Theresa lah. He was busy playing wargames OK

 

[po2wq]

How did a ...

Failed to show his face in the midst of the crisis, absolutely no sound or picture ...

learn from ze bestest paid talen ah loon, ofcoz! ...

wen crisis shows itself, u go n hide urself ... wen ze coast is clear oredi, rear ur head ...

 

[scroobal]

You are absolutely right. He learnt from the PM who has a proven track record of hiding, waiting for the smoke to clear etc. and that chap too was an SAF OMS scholar and had similar pathway. Now we really have to worry.

Mas Selamat incident was a shocker. i remember it gripped the nation like no other and it must have gripped his fucking balls.

learn from ze bestest paid talen ah loon, ofcoz! ...

wen crisis shows itself, u go n hide urself ... wen ze coast is clear oredi, rear ur head ...

 

[watchman8]

Looks like the management in SMRT is in bad shape and not only the engineering side. How did the PR head end up doing this Mother Theresa stunt. I am sure Desmond Kuek was not visiting flood victims, the homeless after a fire, etc

I don't think the reaction to the strike is entirely in the hands of smrt. There is likely an ad hoc committee handling this case, including the PR, prosecution, liaison with Chinese embassy etc. committee head could be TCJ, going by the statements he gave?

Maybe the auntie killer baey yam keng and his pr firm is also involved?

 

[Loofydralb]

How did a
- OMS scholar
- schooled in Oxford
- schooled in Harvard
- SAF 6th SAF Defence Chief
- member of elite Admin Service
- Permanent Secretary
- CEO of one of the biggest GLC

Failed to show his face in the midst of the crisis, absolutely no sound or picture, takes the first chance of a showing his face by turning it into a cheap publicity photo opportunity by visiting his staff at the dorm like Mother Theresa and then to end up having a third of his affected staff in detention in a prison. Fucking clueless or scared shitless or both.

How did we end up with such leaders. Even a moron would know when to turn up at a funeral.

I'm surprised that you're surprised.

I've said it before that its the top management quality in Singapore that is the problem. On the other hand,yThe productive masses are one of the best in the world. They beg to be led properly.

I've seen too many examples, both publicly and personally to conclude this.

 

[watchman8]

Note also that Jo teo is having higher profile than zorro in handling of this case. Confirm zorro is sidelined and likely step down within next 12 months from NTUC?

 

[Major]

Mas Selamat incident was a shocker. i remember it gripped the nation like no other and it must have gripped his fucking balls.

The question is: what's next? We have been ranting like this for quite sometime but yet nothing has changed.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

The fact of the matter is this. He's still in charge. Those that were most responsible for the strike have been arrested and life goes on as usual. Pay your increasing fares for bad service staffed by cheap underpaid drivers and let's move on.

 

[scroobal]

Agree but he should have come out earlier and made comments such as "we are looking into it, we are treating this seriously and apologise to all commuters". Nobody forced him to do the Mother Theresa act. Poorly handled, poor leadership, indecisive and the list goes on.

I don't think the reaction to the strike is entirely in the hands of smrt. There is likely an ad hoc committee handling this case, including the PR, prosecution, liaison with Chinese embassy etc. committee head could be TCJ, going by the statements he gave?

Maybe the auntie killer baey yam keng and his pr firm is also involved?

 

[Confuseous]

On page 76 of Cheong Yip Seng's book OB MARKERS, he wrote:

"I was not surprised later when I heard Dr Goh's (Keng Swee) experience with MINDEF scholars. He had the pick of every cohort. Many of them did not make the cut, he told me. They did not have other qualities needed to succeed, like the the ability to lead people."

 

[scroobal]

Let me say that I continue to be surprised. Usually a broken organsiation will learn from their failure. Maybe I am too optimistic.

I'm surprised that you're surprised.

I've said it before that its the top management quality in Singapore that is the problem. On the other hand,yThe productive masses are one of the best in the world. They beg to be led properly.

I've seen too many examples, both publicly and personally to conclude this.

 

[mojito]

The Singapore system severely penalizes Type A personalities, even in the military where it should thrive.

 

[mesmerised]

Agree but he should have come out earlier and made comments such as "we are looking into it, we are treating this seriously and apologise to all commuters". Nobody forced him to do the Mother Theresa act. Poorly handled, poor leadership, indecisive and the list goes on.

This guy is "velvet glove, iron fist" type. He was probably in some "war room" with the other minyons like TY Lui and CH Teo. What we are seeing is all scripted.

 

[laksaboy]

The PAP govt relies on these bookworm scholars to prop up its entire existence. Through various govt scholarships (notably the SAF scholarship), a constant supply of these individuals will be churned out.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

I agree with you totally... this is epidemic failure of first degree.

Goh Meng Seng

How did a
- OMS scholar
- schooled in Oxford
- schooled in Harvard
- SAF 6th SAF Defence Chief
- member of elite Admin Service
- Permanent Secretary
- CEO of one of the biggest GLC

Failed to show his face in the midst of the crisis, absolutely no sound or picture, takes the first chance of a showing his face by turning it into a cheap publicity photo opportunity by visiting his staff at the dorm like Mother Theresa and then to end up having a third of his affected staff in detention in a prison. Fucking clueless or scared shitless or both.

How did we end up with such leaders. Even a moron would know when to turn up at a funeral.