Oops, we could not find a good engineer after global search to run SMRT

[myfoot123]

Another PAP stooge who is not engineering trained to be appointed SMRT CEO. What kind of stupid joke is PAP repeating? What is the purpose of an army personnel running a train. The last we heard from another Army scholar is that flooding is orchard road is called ponding. So what stupid jokes will this army man be giving us for MRT this time?

 

[shelltox]

When Yong Pung How's daughter was made the first CEO of IDA, even she was aware she was ill qualified for the information technology appointment. Hence her infamous repartee, "I may not know what CDMA stands for, but I can always hire someone who does." Do we really need a repeat of that fiasco at SMRT? What we need is someone like interim CEO Tan Ek Kia (Bachelor of Science (Mechanical Engineering)), a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of experience in design, engineering and construction, project management, as well as being a Chartered Engineer with the UK Engineering Council and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers, Malaysia.

"After an extensive search and selection process, we are pleased that we have someone of Desmond's background and calibre joining SMRT as the new CEO," was the announcement from the rail operator's Board of Directors. Problem here is that their anointed one is not even a practising engineer (Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Master's degree in Public Administration). Which means the $10 million report of the Commission of Inquiry that came up with various engineering issues to be addressed is as good as being trashed, cast aside like pearls before swine.

You would think that with the fat salary that comes with the job, it would be a cinch to hire someone with the track record and qualifications in running a transportation engineering company. Surely we are not the only country in the world with a mass transit rail system. Perhaps the directors at SMRT would care to show us who else were considered for the challenging task ahead. For all we know, maybe the selection criteria were tailored the way the specification was drawn up for foldable bikes at NParks.

- http://singaporedesk.blogspot.sg/2012/08/engineering-takes-back-step.html[/Q

Henry Ford when questioned regarding his lack of accounting background replied" with a touch of a few buttons, I can get the best accountants to do my accounts. Why is there a need to be an accountant."
How many of the US Chief of Staff are superb pilot,ace sniper or top the Ranger course. I bet at certain level, these skills are useful but not necessary .Likewise for top Ceo jobs? I guess many of the writers are climbing up the wrong tree. Why do they bring in Desmond Quek? Maybe there are skeletons in the closet they need to buried. Incumbents maybe too entrenched to do the dirty work. I believe as an army guy, he is there to bring his Plan A, Plan B or Plan C in case of "worst case scenario" . Give that guy a chance to get his work done. Transport minister is from Navy and the SMRT Ceo is from the army, they do speak the same lingo, and the transport ministry is a "Hot Potato" so they do need someone to be politically savvy in order to solve problems in the politically sensitive portfolio.

 

[Equalisation]

Seriously, by appointing Desmond, it is akin to asking Santa Claus' step-sister, Santa Anita to do the job of distributing the presents during Christmas.:o

 

[Cestbon]

NEL MRT have also cannot take it Army come take over as CEO.
Power down because too sad to see useless CEO.

 

[Fook Seng]

Seriously, by appointing Desmond, it is akin to asking Santa Claus' step-sister, Santa Anita to do the job of distributing the presents during Christmas.:o

Santa Claus actually does better than that. He engages all mothers of children to do the last mile delivery.

 

[greedy and cunning]

Another PAP stooge who is not engineering trained to be appointed SMRT CEO. What kind of stupid joke is PAP repeating? What is the purpose of an army personnel running a train. The last we heard from another Army scholar is that flooding is orchard road is called ponding. So what stupid jokes will this army man be giving us for MRT this time?

Leongsam : you don't know how lucky you are to have a scholar to run the simple smrt , in other countries they just hire any tom dick and
hairy to do the job.

Kinana : this army scholar had contributed greatly to the stability of singapore , what has you done ?

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh same boring thing. :p:p:p

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

If you're going to split hairs then how about Frank T. Cary - IBM CEO.... no technical qualifications. All he had was a business degree. Same goes with John R. Opel... another marketing man with no formal technical qualifications.

Larry Ellison... another dropout with no technical qualifications whatsoever. Picked it up as we grew the company.

IBM provides business solutions. Having a business degree is not necessarily a bad thing especially when their engineering takes years of R&D and is very capable. Compare this with the Saw and this recent twit. What made him a scholar was his good grades studying in a school in Singapore based on Singapore's pathetic rote-learning ideals. His experience has very little overlap other than the frequency of his canteen breaks being on par to occurrences of train and other mechanical failures.

The PAPzi scheme's scholar scheme is one of the biggest blunders and a major drain on innovation and entrepreurship in Singapore. The GLCs crowd out true innovators and practice crony capitalism while they themselves cannot innovate as their reliance on good grades at high school can only bring you so far in life.

This twit will be another major fuckup at SMRT. This is not even an if but a when. If not for GLCs supporting each other with fat contracts, I will be surprised if even one of them actually manages to make a profit for a short number of years.