Chitchat Khaw speaks after 7 days on defective trains

[Ariadne]

Wonder what else they concealed over the years.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/going-public-on-train/2950576.htmlGoing public on train cracks could have caused undue panic: Khaw
Posted 12 Jul 2016 16:49 Updated 12 Jul 2016 17:07

Mr Khaw said that going public for something that was not "a major event" might have caused unnecessary panic to the layman, noting that to engineers, not all cracks are the same.

He added that if there was a safety issue, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) would have gone public.

There was no correlation to train delays of more than five minutes to the hairline cracks, LTA said at the briefing. It indicated that most of the delays since 2014 were linked to signalling faults, door or brake issues, with none linked to hairline cracks.

1. There was no panic after the expose from Factwire, which shows that people are rational. Also if LTA had voluntarily announced the crack with assurances that there will is no safety concern, people will definitely not panic. Every time the government volunteers info to the public, it will add credibility to itself. Hiding info will gradually erode public trust.

2. SGH and MOH hide the Hep C outbreak for several months, even though it is a critical safety issue. So why should people trust that LTA is now telling the truth?

3. Note that LTA is very careful in saying "no correlation to train delays of more than five minutes to the hairline cracks", but admitted that this batch of trains have many other faults that have result in numerous incidents of train delays.

Sounds like these trains are of such low quality, hence LTA is sending them back for major repair/replacement in China. Focusing on the cracks is just a red herring.

 

[myfoot123]

Agree now that the shoe is on the other foot. Clearly he can't hold himself to the standard that he was vehemently preaching in parliament. His credibility after Brompton fell and after this its languishing in the basement.

Let's see what bull this COW will weave when opposition start to pose questions on MRT crack matters. Be prepared for some very painful to the ear of make-up excuses which this man is extremely capable of.

 

[rover2sg]

Thanks Bro, have corrected it.

After this unexpected exposure, all eyes are on them to make it work. Note, no explanation on the financial compensation and no details on the extent of cost covered including things like 3rd consultant fees.

After hearing his "explanation" I am inclined to panic knowing that we have a Minister who thinks I am prone to panic on knowing the truth!

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

khaw obviously had to get some research done by his backroom boys before he dares to issue something ministerial that seems like a plausible excuse. :d he is most concerned about causing undue panic among his colleagues in particular, those luminaries in lta and the smrt. Lol.

consumate liar first class LIAR

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

fucking liar: the cracks caused by impurities during smelting and in the resultant billet prior to rolling down to thickness NOT caused by impurities after assembed to train & operating 300000 km!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plain bull shit fr $8Cow

 

[Satyr]

The obvious is that he no longer trusts the people thus the time taken and the need to see it for himself. It also shows the culture within the public service has deteriorated where their own minister has doubts about them.

His reasons for accepting the situation and theologic behind is flawed.

Imagine if we built a power plant that cost $350 million and took 3 years to build. We found out 2 years later that all 8 turbines have cracks. We bring in the experts and they tell us that it can last for another 3 to 5 years before permanent fixes need to be made. So we quickly bring online the building of another power plant so that we can cover the first power plant while it is rebuilt in stages. Since there is no safety issues at all, do we tell the public that the vendor screwed up and it is being rebuilt. And the same vendor rewarded with the building of the second power plant. Mind you its more than $350m as it involves bringing in another power plant much earlier.

Clearly there is no sense of transparency and public accountability for use of public funds.

If this was a public listed company, this sort of conduct is not acceptable. As it is major expense item, it will need to be disclosed to stakeholders. No board will condone this sort of behaviour and no board will accept the type of explanation that Khaw threw out.

Khaw among other things did not explain why the completion date was quickly fast tracked from 2023 to 2019 in a matter of 24 hrs - from 7 years to 5 years.

The fear is that since the Minister has clearly condoned this sort of behaviour what else is there that has been hidden. Trust between the people and this government is already frayed long time ago, now its on its last strand,

There won't be much trust. In fact it was fast disappearing. The PAP will act to remove choices . So expect more repression.

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

Disagree with you. The average sinkies do have low intelligence.

typically ........ like YOU

 

[scroobal]

LOL!! well said bro. I think we are all scared what else is going on.

After hearing his "explanation" I am inclined to panic knowing that we have a Minister who thinks I am prone to panic on knowing the truth!

 

[halsey02]

After hearing his "explanation" I am inclined to panic knowing that we have a Minister who thinks I am prone to panic on knowing the truth!

Will there be great panic...when sinkingtothecore....finds out that their CPF statement says $xxx,xxx is actually $x.xxxxx & then they explain..."printing error"...ha ha ha PANIC!

 

[scroobal]

More on Khaw's conduct.


http://theindependent.sg/khaw-mischievous-to-spin-train-defect-issue-into-controversy/
Khaw: Mischievous to spin train defect issue into controversy
By The Independent - July 13, 2016 20 693

By: 永久浪客/Forever Vagabond

Yesterday, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan held a press conference with regard to the defective China-made trains uncovered by Hong Kong online media FactWire (http://bit.Iy/29CQ5uW).

LTA has been shipping the defective trains back to China for repairs over the past 2 years but prefers to keep things quiet. Many Singaporeans are asking why the issue was not made public earlier and had to be uncovered through a Hong Kong media.

Mr Khaw said that the cracks found on the car-body bolster, an aluminium alloy structure under the train carriage, were not major and did not pose any safety risk. So, the issue was not made public.

“If you were to go public on something that is not major, would you (not) unduly, unnecessarily cause a panic among the people?” he asked.

He said that the rectification process is treated as a “routine matter”.

Instead of apologizing and humbly learning a good lesson out of the whole saga, Mr Khaw appeared to take a swipe at FactWire, “With hindsight, the lesson to be learnt is (that) a seemingly routine matter, in mischievous hands, can be mis-spun into a controversy.”

He linked the news to factions in Hong Kong with an anti-China political agenda. Mr Khaw said, “We are caught in a crossfire and there are factions in Hong Kong who wanted to cause some difficulties for mainland China. I have no inside information on whether that is true or not, but it’s possible.” (http://bit.Iy/29GfoyO)

“Unfortunately, we become a convenient bullet and collateral damage. Whatever it is, it is of legitimate concern to Singaporeans and we have to address them.”

Since the issue was uncovered by FactWire, netizens have been discussing earnestly about the whole saga on social media in the past week.

Appearing to be also hitting back at those who questioned LTA’s and MOT’s decisions of withholding news of the repairs from public, Mr Khaw said, “When you are on the spot at the time… you have to weigh the downside of coming up with much ado about nothing, when it is not a serious matter… I can understand why LTA and MOT did what they did at that point.”

 

[GoldenDragon]

If one accepts Cow's explanation, cow dung can then be eaten.

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

If one accepts Cow's explanation, cow dung can then be eaten.

remember how he fixed WP???????????????????

 

[tyudm]

Wonder what else they concealed over the years.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/going-public-on-train/2950576.htmlGoing public on train cracks could have caused undue panic: Khaw
Posted 12 Jul 2016 16:49 Updated 12 Jul 2016 17:07

SINGAPORE: Declaring that trains were being returned to China for repairs due to hairline cracks could have caused undue panic, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said at the Bishan Depot on Tuesday (Jul 12).

The authority added that even when trains were being repaired, there were always enough trains to meet demand.

For example, for 2016, there are 140 trains available for the North-South and East-West lines, and 124 trains are needed to meet demand. This will continue till 2019 - when replacement work is completed - where there will always be more trains available than needed, according to estimates.

How many 1980's trains are still in use?

 

[scroobal]

All 66 trains purchased in the 1980s are still in use. Refurbished circa 2007. Up to 2014 - total 141 trains. 45 trains under latest contract are being delivered from 2015 to 2018. Lots of capacity even with those in the workshop for servicing. Clearly they ordered earlier so that they can send the defective 26 trains for servicing.

How many 1980's trains are still in use?

 

[dr.wailing]

Let's see what bull this COW will weave when opposition start to pose questions on MRT crack matters. Be prepared for some very painful to the ear of make-up excuses which this man is extremely capable of.

Please......rein in your enthusiasm when criticizing $8 Cow.....

A little bird from the West whispered to me that all answers issued by cabinet ministars have to seek prior approval from CNA before they are given out in Parliament sittings.

 

[winnipegjets]

Opposition politicians should each take a precinct to educate sinkees on the issues. Let the people hold the PAP accountable.