Lee Hsien Loong rose quickly through the ranks in the Singapore Army, becoming the youngest brigadier-general in Singaporean history after his promotion in July 1983
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The military junta in SG
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Lee Hsien Loong rose quickly through the ranks in the Singapore Army, becoming the youngest brigadier-general in Singaporean history after his promotion in July 1983
Lim Hng Kiang (front, centre) began his career in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and left with rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Teo Chee Hean (top) assumed command of the RSN as Chief of Navy in 1991 and was promoted to the rank of Commodore (later re-designated as Rear-Admiral) in July 1991.
As a President's Scholar and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Scholar, George Yeo (front, left) he graduated from Christ's College, University of Cambridge with a degree in engineering in 1976.[4]
Upon returning from England, Yeo served as an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He served as a signals officer in the Singapore Army, before transferring to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), where he rose to the rank of Brigadier-General. He then attended Harvard Business School and earned a Master in Business Administration, graduating as a Baker Scholar in 1985.[4]
When Yeo returned to Singapore, he served as the Chief-of-Staff of the Air Staff from 1985 to 1986, and as the Director of Joint Operations and Planning at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) from 1986 to 1988.[4] He also led the team which conceptualised the SAFTI Military Institute.[5]
Yeo was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General in 1988, but in August that year, he resigned from the SAF to enter Parliament.[4]
Ng Yat Chung enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1979 and was commissioned as an artillery officer in December that year.[4] Throughout his military career, he held various appointments, including the following: Commanding Officer, 21st Battalion Singapore Artillery; Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Plans); Commander, 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade; Head, Joint Operations Department; Commander, 3rd Division; Director, Joint Operations and Planning Directorate; Chief of Staff (Joint Staff); Chief of Army.[2] He relinquished his appointment as the Chief of Army on 1 April 2003 and succeeded Lim Chuan Poh as the Chief of Defence Force (CDF).[2]
As a scholar, Desmond Kuek rose rapidly through the ranks, receiving the following appointments:
- Commanding Officer, 41st Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment;
- Head of Defence Studies Department, Ministry of Defence;
- Commander, 4th Singapore Armoured Brigade;
- Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations);
- Commander, 3rd Division;
- Chief of Staff, General Staff;
- Director, Joint Intelligence Directorate;
- Chief of Army (2003–2007).[3]
Throughout his 30-year service in the SAF, Neo Kian Hong held various appointments, including: Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Singapore Guards; Commander, Army Training and Doctrine Command, Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Operations); Chief of Staff, Joint Staff; Chief of Army (2007–2010).[4] He served as the SAF's contingent commander for the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) in 1999 and as the Director of Operations, Ministry of Health, during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, he was involved in establishing the national contact and tracing system in Singapore.[6]
In 2010, Neo was appointed as the SAF's Chief of Defence Force (CDF) and was promoted from the rank of Major-General to Lieutenant-General.[7]
During his military career, among the appointments Ng Chee Meng held were the following: Commanding Officer, 144 Squadron; Commander, Changi Air Base; Deputy Head, Joint Communications and Information Systems Department; Head, Air Plans; Director, Joint Operations; Deputy Chief of Air Force. He was also the Military Private Secretary to the Minister of Defence from December 1995 to July 1996.[4]
Ng succeeded his elder brother, Ng Chee Khern, as the Chief of Air Force on 10 December 2009.
Chan Chun Sing served in the Singapore Army from 1987 to 2011. His appointments included Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1998–2000), Army Attaché in Jakarta (2001–03), Commander of the 10th Singapore Infantry Brigade (2003–04), Head of the Joint Plans and Transformation Department (2005–07), Commander of the 9th Division / Chief Infantry Officer (2007–09),[6] and Chief of Staff – Joint Staff (2009–10).
Chan excelled as a student at the US Army Command and General Staff College in 1998, and was the first foreign student to be conferred the "Distinguished Master Strategist Award" in the same year.[7]
Chan was appointed the Chief of Army on 26 March 2010 (replacing Major-General Neo Kian Hong). He left the Singapore Armed Forces on 25 March 2011 in order to stand for Parliament (and was replaced as Chief of Army by Brigadier-General Ravinder Singh).[8]
Tan Chuan Jin went on to hold the positions of Commanding Officer of 3rd Guards Battalion, Army Attaché in Jakarta, Commander of the 7th Singapore Infantry Brigade, Assistant Chief of the General Staff (Plans), Commander of 3rd Division, and Commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and rose to the rank of Brigadier-General.[4][5]
On 25 March 2011, Tan left the SAF in order to stand for Parliament.
Lui Tuck Yew began his career in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). He became the Chief of Navy in 1999. He left the RSN in 2003 to join the Administrative Service.
Throughout her military career, Gan Siow Huang has held command and staff appointments in the SAF, including Commanding Officer of the 203 Squadron, Commander of Air Surveillance and Control Group and was Head of the Joint Manpower Department in the Ministry of Defence.[4] On 1 July 2015, she was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, becoming the first female general and the highest ranking female officer in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).[5][6] In a speech at a Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women forum held on 3 October 2015, then-Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Education Low Yen Ling cited Gan as "one notable example who smashed the 'brass ceiling' to become the first female general in the SAF".[7]
Gan succeeded Brigadier-General Neo Hong Keat as Commander of the Air Power Generation Command on 5 October 2016.
In July 2019, Gan was appointed Chief of Staff - Air Staff, succeeding Brigadier-General Tommy Tan Ah Han. In March 2020, she resigned as Chief of Staff – Air Staff of the Republic of Singapore Air Force to join politics, and currently is the Member of Parliament for Marymount SMC.
Who are the other two, on the left and on the right?
10 percent of the senior leadership appointments in the public sector, in roles such as permanent secretaries, deputy secretaries and chief executives, are held by former SAF officers.
SAF's first inspector-general Tan Chee Wee (left) will replace current ECDA CEO Jamie Ang.
PHOTOS: MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
Goh Yan Han
Oct 5, 2021
SINGAPORE - Several qualified candidates were considered for the role of chief executive officer of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli has said.
Mr Tan Chee Wee, the first inspector-general in the Singapore Armed Forces, was assessed to be the most suitable among the candidates, he said.
Mr Tan is not unfamiliar with the social sector, as he had previously served in the then Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports from 2006 to 2008, he added.
There, the former brigadier-general in the SAF supervised the macro-planning of government-funded social services and development of the social service sector, building up capabilities and human resources, Mr Masagos said in a written response to a parliamentary question from Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) on Monday (Oct 4).
The Ministry of Social and Family Development had considered the candidates in coordination with the Public Service Division (PSD), he said.
The Inspector-General's Office under Mr Tan was set up to strengthen safety governance and management systems in the SAF.
Mr Tan's appointment as ECDA chief had been announced in September. He became the CEO-designate on Sept 1 and his term will start officially on Dec 15.
Ms He had asked how many candidates were considered for the role of ECDA chief and what factors and qualifications were considered, as well as why the final decision was made to appoint a chief executive with no early childhood or educational experience.
In a separate parliamentary question, Mr Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) asked how many retired SAF officers with the rank of colonel or ME7 and above have held senior positions in public sector organisations and how the PSD determined which officers had sufficient competencies to lead these organisations despite not having had civilian work experience.
He also asked if the PSD had considered requiring these officers to spend several years building up sectoral knowledge and skills before taking the helm of these organisations.
Responding in a written reply on behalf of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said that there were 15 former SAF officers currently holding senior leadership appointments in the public service, as at Sept 24.
They form around 10 per cent of the appointments, in roles such as permanent secretaries, deputy secretaries and chief executives, said Mr Chan, who is also Education Minister.
"Of the SAF personnel holding the rank of colonel or ME7 and above who retired between 2010 and now, about 7 per cent went on to assume senior public service appointments," he added.
He noted that in line with recruitment for other positions in the public service, the PSD adopts the principle of "best available person for the job" in recruiting for senior appointments.
Agencies typically consider candidates from within the ranks of their organisations, the wider public service including the uniformed services, and where relevant, the private sector.
When it comes to former uniformed services officers, agencies would take a considered view of the officer's career experience and competencies or qualities, together with other available candidates, before deciding on the best person for the senior role, said Mr Chan.
He added that candidates from the SAF, or the uniformed services in general, including the Home Team, would have served in roles that have developed in them a range of competencies, such as strategic leadership, organisation transformation, policy formulation, running of large-scale operations and technology management, that are generally relevant to senior management positions in the public service.
He said: "They also have valuable experience in working with, understanding, motivating, and winning the confidence of full-time and operationally ready national servicemen who are Singaporeans from all walks of life."
Officers who demonstrate the capacity to assume top leadership positions are tested and prepared through challenging postings and leadership programmes, he said.
In addition, these officers are provided opportunities to develop whole-of-government perspectives through inter-agency projects, board directorships and external postings to the public service during their military careers.
Mr Chan said: "These experiences prepare the officers to assume senior appointments in the military, and also provide them with the background and perspective to take on senior leadership positions in the wider public service, if called upon and found suitable."
He noted that sector-specific knowledge and skills are part of the considerations, but not the only consideration.
Public service leadership teams are expected to comprise leaders who bring diverse experiences to the table and operate cohesively as a team, tapping each other's skills and experiences, he said.
SAF’s first inspector-general chosen to oversee pre-schools most suitable among candidates: Masagos
SAF's first inspector-general Tan Chee Wee (left) will replace current ECDA CEO Jamie Ang.
PHOTOS: MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
Goh Yan Han
Oct 5, 2021
SINGAPORE - Several qualified candidates were considered for the role of chief executive officer of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli has said.
Mr Tan Chee Wee, the first inspector-general in the Singapore Armed Forces, was assessed to be the most suitable among the candidates, he said.
Mr Tan is not unfamiliar with the social sector, as he had previously served in the then Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports from 2006 to 2008, he added.
There, the former brigadier-general in the SAF supervised the macro-planning of government-funded social services and development of the social service sector, building up capabilities and human resources, Mr Masagos said in a written response to a parliamentary question from Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) on Monday (Oct 4).
The Ministry of Social and Family Development had considered the candidates in coordination with the Public Service Division (PSD), he said.
The Inspector-General's Office under Mr Tan was set up to strengthen safety governance and management systems in the SAF.
Mr Tan's appointment as ECDA chief had been announced in September. He became the CEO-designate on Sept 1 and his term will start officially on Dec 15.
Ms He had asked how many candidates were considered for the role of ECDA chief and what factors and qualifications were considered, as well as why the final decision was made to appoint a chief executive with no early childhood or educational experience.
In a separate parliamentary question, Mr Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) asked how many retired SAF officers with the rank of colonel or ME7 and above have held senior positions in public sector organisations and how the PSD determined which officers had sufficient competencies to lead these organisations despite not having had civilian work experience.
He also asked if the PSD had considered requiring these officers to spend several years building up sectoral knowledge and skills before taking the helm of these organisations.
Responding in a written reply on behalf of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said that there were 15 former SAF officers currently holding senior leadership appointments in the public service, as at Sept 24.
They form around 10 per cent of the appointments, in roles such as permanent secretaries, deputy secretaries and chief executives, said Mr Chan, who is also Education Minister.
"Of the SAF personnel holding the rank of colonel or ME7 and above who retired between 2010 and now, about 7 per cent went on to assume senior public service appointments," he added.
He noted that in line with recruitment for other positions in the public service, the PSD adopts the principle of "best available person for the job" in recruiting for senior appointments.
Agencies typically consider candidates from within the ranks of their organisations, the wider public service including the uniformed services, and where relevant, the private sector.
When it comes to former uniformed services officers, agencies would take a considered view of the officer's career experience and competencies or qualities, together with other available candidates, before deciding on the best person for the senior role, said Mr Chan.
He added that candidates from the SAF, or the uniformed services in general, including the Home Team, would have served in roles that have developed in them a range of competencies, such as strategic leadership, organisation transformation, policy formulation, running of large-scale operations and technology management, that are generally relevant to senior management positions in the public service.
He said: "They also have valuable experience in working with, understanding, motivating, and winning the confidence of full-time and operationally ready national servicemen who are Singaporeans from all walks of life."
Officers who demonstrate the capacity to assume top leadership positions are tested and prepared through challenging postings and leadership programmes, he said.
In addition, these officers are provided opportunities to develop whole-of-government perspectives through inter-agency projects, board directorships and external postings to the public service during their military careers.
Mr Chan said: "These experiences prepare the officers to assume senior appointments in the military, and also provide them with the background and perspective to take on senior leadership positions in the wider public service, if called upon and found suitable."
He noted that sector-specific knowledge and skills are part of the considerations, but not the only consideration.
Public service leadership teams are expected to comprise leaders who bring diverse experiences to the table and operate cohesively as a team, tapping each other's skills and experiences, he said.
Ex-LTA chief will have challenges ahead of him at SMRT
Christopher Tan
Senior Transport Correspondent
Mr Ngien Hoon Ping will be the first former regulator to helm a public transport operator. PHOTO: SMRT
APR 1, 2022
SINGAPORE - News of former Land Transport Authority (LTA ) head Ngien Hoon Ping becoming the next chief executive of transport group SMRT Corp from Aug 1 came as a surprise for many, even if it has been in the rumour mill for several months now.
For starters, Mr Ngien, 52, will be the first former regulator to helm a public transport operator. He replaces Mr Neo Kian Hong, 57, who will be leaving SMRT after about four years.
Secondly, Mr Ng, who was at the authority for about four years, left to join the FairPrice Group as head of its supply chain business barely two years ago - a move which raised eyebrows because he was leaving the elite administrative service for what some regarded as a less prestigious role.
Mr Ngien's latest appointment came just a month after former ComfortDelGro stalwart Ang Wei Neng, 54, quit to join SMRT to head its taxi and private-hire vehicle businesses.
With the two new senior appointments, SMRT should be better placed to grow its core transport businesses to meet competition from the likes of ComfortDelGro and Grab.
As a former LTA chief executive, Mr Ngien would have intimate knowledge of what the authority looks for in bus and rail tenders, for instance. This could well give SMRT an edge over its rivals.
In this regard, Mr Ngien would also be in a far stronger position than his predecessor Mr Neo, who was a former chief of defence in the Singapore Armed Forces, and permanent secretary at the education and defence ministries before joining SMRT in August 2018.
Although Mr Ngien was also from the military - he was director of joint operations in the SAF between 2010 and 2013, and a brigadier-general - he had spent six years at the LTA, first as a board member in 2014. He was also a board member at the Urban Redevelopment Authority between 2016 and 2021.
So, one would imagine that he had gleaned a fair amount of knowledge and insights related to transport and urban planning, which will contribute to key competencies in his new role.
Yet, it would not be far-fetched to say Mr Ngien has challenges ahead.
For starters, it will be the first time he is chief executive of a private, commercial group - one which, while transport-focused, also has a wide and diversified portfolio that includes non-transit operations such as advertising and retail space.
All eyes will be on him as he tries to grow the company, including its drive to expand overseas - imperative for the long-term sustainability of any transport group operating in a small market like Singapore. Compared with local rival ComfortDelGro, SMRT's efforts to expand abroad have been far less successful.
Mr Ngien may have deputy chief executive Lee Ling Wee to assist him on this front, even if Mr Lee - who cut his teeth in rail engineering during the worst spate of reliability woes in SMRT's history - is himself learning the ropes in leading the SMRT International team in business development, a role which he has had no experience in previously.
In contrast, rival ComfortDelGro managed to grow a sizeable overseas wing because its first CEO - the late Kua Hong Pak, who led the group from its inception in 2003 to 2017 - had experience in mergers and acquisitions, both locally and abroad, while he was leading Times Publishing in the 1990s.
As chief executive, Mr Ngien's challenges will include hiring and keeping talent, and preferably avoiding the spate of resignations witnessed at the start of his predecessor's tenure.
At SMRT, success will also depend on how well he interacts with the board of directors, led by a chairman - Mr Seah Moon Ming - who is known for being strong-willed and hands-on.
Mr Ngien will have to put an end to a series of accidents and incidents - several fatal - which marred the tenure of Mr Neo and his predecessor Desmond Kuek.
When he was at the helm, Mr Kuek had said that SMRT had "deep-seated managerial, structural, cultural and systemic issues", which Mr Neo later dismissed.
Will Mr Ngien do a deeper assessment when he takes over in August?
During a court hearing on an accident which killed two SMRT trainees in 2016, the Ministry of Manpower pointed out that the company's employees had not been complying with operating procedures pertaining to track access from as early as 2002, and that the frequency of safety breaches had escalated from 2007.
Going by the three injurious or fatal accidents during Mr Neo's four-year term, it would seem things have not changed sufficiently. Or it could have been sheer bad luck.
Mr Ngien - whose tenure at LTA was blemished by a fatal viaduct collapse and a graft case involving a senior staff - needs to find out which.
Former chief of army to be appointed PUB chief executive
Former Chief of Army Goh Si Hou (left) will take over from Mr Peter Ng Joo Hee as PUB chief executive from July 22, 2022. PHOTOS: MINISTRY OF SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Isabelle Liew
June 8, 2022
SINGAPORE - Former chief of army Goh Si Hou will be appointed chief executive of national water agency PUB from July 22.
The 44-year-old will take over from Mr Peter Ng Joo Hee, 56, who will be retiring from the administrative service, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said in a statement on Wednesday (July 8).
Mr Ng, PUB's chief executive since 2015, previously served as the Commissioner of Police and Commissioner of Prisons.
During his tenure at PUB, several significant water infrastructure developments were commissioned.
Choa Chu Kang Waterworks' upgrading was completed in 2019, making it the largest ceramic membrane filtration plant in the world.
"The commissioning of these plants has further strengthened Singapore's water security," MSE said.
Mr Ng led PUB in its new role as the national coastal protection authority to safeguard against rising sea levels, as well as in sustainability efforts.
"Mr Ng's leadership during Covid-19 ensured PUB's operational resilience and the integrity of its supply chain," the ministry added.
Incoming chief executive Mr Goh has been a member of the PUB Board since April 1, 2021.
"Over his career, Mr Goh had held a range of command and staff leadership appointments in the Singapore Armed Forces as well as policy roles in the Ministry of Defence," MSE said.
As Chief of Army, he reached key milestones for the 3rd Generation Army and laid the foundations for its next-generation transformation.
Mr Goh also co-chaired the National Service Review Committee that enhanced the contribution, service delivery experience and recognition of national servicemen.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he led the army's contributions to national efforts against the virus.
In 2021, Mr Goh received the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Military).
"The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment would like to place on record our deep appreciation to Mr Ng for his leadership and valuable contributions to PUB and the MSE Family, and welcome Mr Goh," the statement said.
SMRT senior exec joins ComfortDelGro in major reshuffle at two groups
Mr Ho Foo Sing will head the bidding team in the company's ComfortDelGro Transit subsidiary. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Christopher Tan
Senior Transport Correspondent
Aug 29, 2022
SINGAPORE - A senior SMRT executive has defected to rival transport group ComfortDelGro.
Mr Ho Foo Sing, 57, head of SMRT's Circle Line, has joined ComfortDelGro Transit - the transport giant's rail tendering and operations subsidiary. He will head the bidding team in this subsidiary, signalling ComfortDelGro's ambition to clinch more overseas rail operating contracts.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Ho joined SMRT as a director in December 2017 after a 34-year career in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, where he attained the rank of colonel. He was appointed head of Circle Line in November 2019.
ComfortDelGro clinched a $1.13 billion contract to operate rail services in Auckland, New Zealand, making it the first Singapore company to secure such a contract overseas.
The group has also been shortlisted in two other rail tenders - one in Paris, and another in Sydney.
In a separate news release on Monday (Aug 29), ComfortDelGro deputy chief executive Cheng Siak Kian said: "In the past two years, even as we were busy tackling the many challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been regrouping and looking at opportunities for growth.
"Significantly, we have started bidding for international rail franchises - something we had never done before."
In the release, ComfortDelGro said it has hired Mr Damian Rowbotham as chief executive of Europe, a newly created role.
Mr Rowbotham, 53, will supervise the group's bus, coach, taxi and private-hire operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland, "as well as look at new investment and tender opportunities in the continent", ComfortDelGro added.
Mr Rowbotham was a senior executive at Scottish transport group Stagecoach Group.
Meanwhile, Mr Ho's position in Temasek-owned SMRT has been taken over by Mr Ng Chan Cheok, a deputy group director of rail asset, operations and maintenance at the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Before joining the LTA, Mr Ng worked at the Singapore Armed Forces and held the rank of military expert 7 - equivalent to a colonel.
SMRT also has a new chief human resource head. Ms Lee Yem Choo, 53, a former SAF colonel who joined the transport operator in 2018, will replace Ms Tan Ai Ling from Sept 1, according to an internal announcement.
Ms Tan, a former veteran at telco Starhub, had joined SMRT to head its HR department after a slew of resignations in 2019.
Ex-SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek to leave UBS for Temasek Trust
Mr Desmond Kuek paid tribute to UBS' strong collaborative culture, when asked about his time there. PHOTO: UBS
Chor Khieng Yuit
Senior Business Correspondent
Sep 7, 2022
SINGAPORE - Banker and former SMRT chief Desmond Kuek will be joining Temasek Trust, the philanthropic arm of state investment company Temasek, as its chief executive from January next year, Temasek Trust has confirmed.
He is currently serving notice at Swiss private bank UBS, which he joined in February 2019 as head of sustainable finance for the Asia-Pacific region.
He is also global head of the bank's sustainable finance group, where he supports the implementation of sustainability and impact strategy across the firm.
At UBS Singapore, Mr Kuek chairs the UBS Optimus Foundation, which gives clients a platform to use their wealth to drive social and environmental change by giving out grants to programmes related to children's health, education and protection as well as those that tackle environmental and climate issues.
When asked about his time there, the 59-year-old paid tribute to the bank's strong collaborative culture.
He said he is looking forward to starting at Temasek Trust, where he will be part of a team which seeks to advance philanthropy as a force for good.
Mr Edmund Koh, president of UBS Asia-Pacific, said the bank hopes to work together with Mr Kuek and Temasek Trust on future opportunities to advance sustainable outcomes for the wider community.
Prior to UBS, Mr Kuek was chief executive of transport operator SMRT for close to 6 years (5 years 9 months), from October 2012 to July 2018.
He faced several crises during the period, including a power failure during the evening rush hour in July 2015 which resulted in massive disruption on SMRT's North-South and East-West lines.
The deaths of two SMRT maintenance staff, who were hit by an oncoming train on their way to inspect faulty equipment at Pasir Ris MRT station in 2016, and the flooding of train tunnels near Bishan MRT station due to a lack of maintenance of flood prevention measures in 2017, also occurred under his watch.
SMRT marked several milestones during his tenure - he was involved in the privatisation of the transport operator, which was delisted from the Singapore Exchange in October 2016, and was part of the team that rebuilt the reliability of the North-South and East-West lines.
The two lines were the oldest MRT lines in Singapore and in need of more regular maintenance works, as the major disruptions in 2015 showed.
It was under Mr Kuek that a New Rail Financing Framework was implemented in 2016 where the Government took over ownership of all rail assets, allowing for more timely replacement of these assets so major breakdowns can be minimised.
Mr Kuek also overhauled the entire train system, including the third rail, which supplies electricity to the trains and the signalling system, which allows trains to run more closely to each other.
The measures improved SMRT's reliability in financial year 2018 - the East-West Line saw an improvement, with mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) rising to 171,000km from 151,400km the year before.
The North-South Line's MKBF, however, dropped to 97,000km, nearly half that from the previous year.
SMRT measures reliability by the number of kilometres clocked before a delay of more than five minutes occurs.
A higher MKBF indicates an improvement in rail reliability.
Before SMRT, Mr Kuek served as permanent secretary for the environment and water resources and as chief of defence force at the Singapore Armed Forces.
He also has a leadership role at consultant firm Genium & Co, which he set up in 2018 with two former military colleagues.
The firm advises clients in areas including organisational transformation, strategy execution and crisis leadership.
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