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By Christopher Tan
SINGAPORE - SMRT'S new chief executive is calling in senior Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers to beef up command and control in the transport operator's set-up.
In one of his first planned tweaks to his management team, Mr Desmond Kuek - himself a retired lieutenant-general - is understood by The Straits Times to be hiring two or three senior SAF officers to take up key appointments in the coming months.
Sources said one is Colonel Gerard Koh, who is poised to join next month as director of human resources - a department that has been in the news since last week's bus drivers' strike. He has held various HR positions. His latest post is head of national service affairs.
The last military man at the SMRT HR department was retired colonel Low Ah Tee, a one-time HR general manager.
Mr Low and more than half a dozen senior executives retired or quit when retailer Saw Phaik Hwa helmed the SMRT between 2002 and January this year.
Sources said Mr Kuek, 49, intends to appoint another senior officer, a logistics specialist, to the bus division. It has not only been loss-making for years, but also made the news when 171 drivers from China went on an illegal strike.
The Defence Ministry said it did not comment on its officers' career moves. "We do not share such information with the press," a spokesman said.
Mr Kuek, who took over SMRT in October, is also keeping mum. But he let on in a recent Lianhe Zaobao interview that SMRT will undergo a major reshuffle "from top to bottom" to meet future challenges and improve service.
"There are clearly managerial, structural, cultural and systemic issues that need addressing. And that is one of my top priorities."
Observers said his move was understandable. Mr Lim Jit Soon, senior analyst at stockbroking house Nomura, said: "There's apparently been a breakdown of protocol and (Mr Kuek) is trying to restore command and control."
Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport chairman Cedric Foo said observations were made that SMRT, in recent years, pursued commercial objectives at some expense to operations. "If the objective (of the move) is to strike a better balance between the two, then it's a good thing," he said.
Singapore Human Resources Institute executive director David Ang said bringing in SAF officers should work if they have competencies and skills the SMRT needs. The key to whether they excel in the corporate world lies in whether they can adapt to the environment, provide leadership and manage diverse groups.
Meanwhile, the Temasek- owned listed SMRT also made recent changes to its board. It appointed Singapore Airlines veteran Yap Kim Wah, 63, as an independent director. He is known for his experience in customer service.
It has also appointed Yayasan Mendaki chief executive Moliah Hashim, 54. In a statement to the Singapore Exchange, SMRT said she had a lot to contribute to SMRT's corporate social responsibilities, "by highlighting the concerns and expectations of commuters and the community". It also announced that Mr Yeo Wee Kiong, 57, ceased to be a director.
christan@sph.com.sg
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SMRT CEO makes appearance at Serangoon dorm
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