To be fair, the government is still pretty good at the other stuff they do, like housing as some have pointed out.
The specific problem is the MRT and transport. Ministry of transport was spun off in 2001 (same time frame as appoint of saw) and since then, we've had a string of failures in the ministry.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_for_Transport_(Singapore)
I'm certain there's a connection between the start of our transport woes and the creation of the ministry in 2001.
To be fair, it is not, we want to point at them for how the country is being run or what they are good or not good at. We are talking about about hiding under layers of incompetency & paying through our noses for people who are just that & the worse part, they will still stick around & collect, benefits etc. I am working in the private sector, I have performances like the MOT or!...I would have been given the WC ( walking certificate) the minute I step into office & will be escorted off the office & building in which the office is locate by the security staff.
Mechanical things breakdown over time, hardware wears out, software needs to be updated & upgraded, that we and all the ah pek at the coffee shop will understand.
Did Desmond Kwek offered to resign? or 'un-volunteer' himself?, or Khaw, say the same thing for not able to run a ministry efficiently...or commit harakiri as he so pointedly said to the oppositions??
I am not against the PAP, I grew up with them...you mentioned HDB..I grew up with HDB...& so many other government bodies, that made Singapore, is today.
We have an inefficient leader who leads a team of equally inefficient people & there is absolutely no check & balnaces & if there are implemented by them , it like the local saying " ownself, check ownself".
It is not what they are good at & not good....they are paid salaries that is the most expensive on this planet earth, they should be VERY GOOD & any of them fail, THEY MUST BE BOOTED OUT like in the private sector & Khaw should 'commit hara kiri".
Are we waiting for a software glitch, a maintenance guffaw, or blame it on god incident that happen, that people died travelling on the trains?? then, we sit up & say....we will still vote for the PAP.