Comments on: Leadership lessons from a sub-contractor

By: Raymond

Raymond — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:55:12 +0000

Give the sub-contractor a Tiger! But seriously, the authorities should show some compassion for this man. Even if they cannot or would not reduce the fine, let him pay the fine by instalments. That is the least the govt should do.

By: Thought Provoker

Thought Provoker — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:47:27 +0000

What I understand is that the sub-contractor is/was based in Malaysia (no sane Singaporean would have FIVE children in this day and age) and I believe he has extended his business reach into Singapore. That being the case, the argument that it is more a case of a ‘Malaysian-influenced’ business philosophy as opposed to the cold, heartless cutthroat ‘Singapore Way’ of doing business, can be put forward.

If this proposition is indeed true, I wonder what this says about the Singaporean ‘high-class’ mentality versus the Malaysian ‘relac-one-corner’ mentality. We may very well be the thoroughbred society, but they still understand the meaning of the word ‘community’…

By: Leakin

Leakin — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:57:45 +0000

In many other countries the government officials seem to fear the press because the freemdom of the press.It checks the government. In Singapore it is the opposite, the press is afraid of the government and does not engage in debate with them for the benefit of the nation.what we have here is the government having Freedom From The Press(read this lnice phrase in a journal). And accountability is thrown out the door because the people’s voice(the press) does not question and ask all the akward questions on behalf of the people. A censored press makes the government hear what it wants to hear(like the advert: hear only the good stuff).Some might even believe that that is the people’s voice instead of their own.

But hey the esplanade looks good right?They must be doing a great job.

A good friend once asked me this question : Who guards the guards?

By: patriot

patriot — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:04:49 +0000

Dishonourables are despise in history, long after they are dead.
And
INFAMY lasts far longer than glory!

patriot.

By: Dead Poet

Dead Poet — Tue, 20 May 2008 01:10:20 +0000

You do not have to look far to understand the leadership qualities of our great leaders. We have seen repeatedly how they never take ownership and yet want to reward themselves millions. Its always a global problem or the people’s problem when something goes wrong but it was the governments brilliant effort for any success. When they make a bloody major screw-ups like mismanaging public institution, welfare organisation or even letting a terrorist escape, its let’s move on and claiming that a leader never walks away (yes, from his million dollar salary). A political opponents does a innocent mistake (misplacing a form) he is a crucified and asked to do the honourable thing and resign, if not he gets sued till he has no pants. Well we all know that sueing people in a country where you are bound to get a summary judgement from a honourable judge is how much your honour is worth. It is not pathetic and down right obvious that as a first world leader you only want to protect your honour in your own country where the entire population knows what is the verdict is even without knowing the content of the case. What is even more pathetic is when they try to defend themselves with all the obvious excuses which many a despotic leader have used in history.

By: Sgcynic

Sgcynic — Mon, 19 May 2008 21:17:53 +0000

The handling of Mas Selamat’s escape showed that our ministers and MPs are well-paid managers, not leaders. They run the country well enough, but do they build a nation? There is definitely something very wrong with our society if we find great difficulty attracting people to serve the country even with high salary. Leaders mai accountability, to fix problems and buy votes, anyone? What to do? If the best man for the job already like that, how to find more capable people?

By: Fever Guy

Fever Guy — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:36:27 +0000

Daniel.

Well Said! Their are really nothing beyond our shores.

By: Insulted

Insulted — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:29:01 +0000

No one who has any pride would ever shake the hand of such leaders. I would not even look them in the face but would spit on their face in my mind (I don’t want to end up in prison). Thiefs, murderers and robbers are much better than a deceitful leader who betrays his own men’s loyalty in him to not only lead them but also protect them by taking ownership.

By: kingfisher

kingfisher — Sun, 18 May 2008 19:56:33 +0000

Now this is what I called integrity, accountability, moral compass, sense of responsibility and humility.

Top Print Edition Stories
Published May 17, 2008

BA chief refuses bonus despite record profits
He says £700,000 payout is not right after Heathrow debacle

(LONDON) British Airways has registered record profits and will pay a dividend for the first time in seven years – but its chief executive, Willie Walsh, has decided to forgo his own bonus. Mr Walsh said that it would be inappropriate, given the shambles in the opening days of moving to BA’s new terminal at Heathrow Airport.

Mr Walsh: Insists his position is not threatened by T5 fiasco
BA reported a net profit of £680 million (S$1.82 billion) for the year, compared with £290 million for the previous 12 months. Its shares rose 4 per cent on the London Stock Exchange and the company decided to return £58 million to shareholders, paying five pence a share.

Mr Walsh would have been entitled to a bonus of up to £700,000 based on various performance targets, but he decided to refuse it following the chaotic opening of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 on March 27. Problems with the baggage handling system led to hundreds of flight cancellations and thousands of bags going astray.

‘I felt it would be inappropriate in the context of the very disappointing opening of Terminal 5 in March,’ Mr Walsh said.

‘So despite the fact it was a record year in terms of our financial performance, I advised the chairman that I thought it would be inappropriate.’

Mr Walsh said that there had been no pressure ‘whatsoever’ from other board members and big investors for him to forgo his bonus payment. But he said: ‘We have let our customers down and I take responsibility for that.’

BA operations director Gareth Kirkwood and customer services director David Noyes resigned following the Terminal 5 fiasco and this week, Mark Bullock, managing director of Heathrow’s owner BAA announced that he was stepping down.

Mr Walsh, too, had initially faced calls to resign but insisted that he felt his position was not under pressure, adding: ‘I feel like I have just won the Premier League with these financial results.’

The airline reported its widest-ever operating margin of 10 per cent. It was Mr Walsh, who joined in 2005, who had set the 10 per cent margin goal for the company. BA’s 42,000 other employees will still receive their bonus from a £35 million bonus pool for meeting the target.

The profit hike came despite a year of soaring oil costs that saw the airline’s fuel bill top £2 billion.

Mr Walsh said: ‘This is an outstanding financial result for the company despite rising fuel prices and significant economic slowdown in the last six months.’

The company now plans to move its long-haul flights to the new terminal from June. — AP, Bloomberg

By: patriot

patriot — Sun, 18 May 2008 15:53:13 +0000

In every society, there are virtuous(respectable/honourable) men and there are crooks!

By: Fever Guy

Fever Guy — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:58:46 +0000

This is true leadership shown. A sub contractor not getting millions but prove he is a man. When are our leaders showing this kind of gut and kindness? WKS can be called a pussycat. Dear pussy pussy who are you hiding behind now?

By: Singaporean

Singaporean — Sun, 18 May 2008 06:46:45 +0000

Maybe we do not know enough of what really happened to be able to pass judgement. Imagine if Mas was released because Osama threatened to attack Singapore if he is not released? Imagine that it was for the greater good of Singapore that if Mas is released then Singapore will be assured of no attacks. Our authorities will be acting for the greater good then if this actually happened. All those lapses will be forgiven if the “escape” is for the greater good of Singapore.

By: fan

fan — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:30:16 +0000

in our society, money is more important than moral. u die yr business. that’s the spirit to doomship. well done to garmen. 1st world country by lip service, 3rd world country by deed. i working hard to ship out of this sick place soon.

By: cx

cx — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:42:36 +0000

It’s a good thing the WKS episode happened I think. The govt lost a lot of goodwill and its reputation for competence at very little cost to the people. After all MSK probably won’t be able to launch an attack still less a succesful one anytime soon. All in all, a good trade, though not big enough or close enough to the election to make a significant difference.

By: Clement

Clement — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:45:20 +0000

If WKS is reading this, I wonder how he feels. I hope someone close to him is reading this, and pass this story and feedback from netizens to him. I bet he and his gang would simply click the page off if they should ever come across this report. With such leaders, Singapore is not likely to be a gracious society to live in … just a playground of the rich and powerful, maybe.

By: SawSwee

SawSwee — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:23:40 +0000

Our leaders always say learn from the private sector. The PM and DPM and everyone in the cabinet should take a leaf from the courage that BA chief executive Willie Walsh demonstrated when he said he will not be taking his bonus because of the Heathrow fiasco, despite the carrier posting profits of £883m.

Mr Walsh said he felt taking the money would be “inappropriate in the context of the very disappointing opening of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 in March”.

This is what is true courage, not just gutless, spineless bapoh who can only say sorry that is has happened.

By: Yixi

Yixi — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:18:34 +0000

He is a true leader who is willing to take up responsibility!

Mr Lam, Jia You!!!!!

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:02:02 +0000

Honourable people should be put on Online Citizen as much as putting those dishonourable photo of greedy coffers.

Can Online Citizen put his photo on the site to encourage such deed and act ?

Maybe two categories are needed

Hall of Fame
For those who are honourable and do the right thing like Mr Lam for the society

Hall of Shame
For those coffers who behave like clown and do thing right for their master and Mee Siam Mai Hum… too many to put their names here. Wong Can’t Sing, Joker Lee to name a few. And most importantly destroy the social fabric of society and pretend nothing happen. No begger, no poor… act blur

By: Tang Li

Tang Li — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:53:13 +0000

This is terrible on the part of the subcontractor. How could be do such a thing. It only encourages a “Culture of Fear,” in our society by making bosses responsible for the people under their care.

Long live the courts for making him pay it off at one go! I mean we cannot have workers developing a “culture of complacency” and expecting their bosses to do anything else other than to collect the profits.

No Siree, this is Singapore and Mr Lam has done us all a great disservice by actually taking care of the people under him.

By: Whitley-Gate

Whitley-Gate — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:42:01 +0000

To me, this humble contractor demonstrated the meaning of “ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS “