By Andrew Loh
Perhaps it is because the elections are near. No one really knows – except the Prime Minister himself. The word is that it could take place anytime now. Some have proffered as early a date as September. One clue could be the circus of ministers and Members of Parliament falling over themselves in passing the buck of responsibility in the recent spate of “unforeseen events”.
The latest to do so is the Minister for Law, Mr K Shanmugam, with regards to the recent security breach at the SMRT Changi Depot. Addressing the point made by some that the government is responsible for the security of the depot and thus the intrusion into it by two graffiti painters, Mr Shanmugam seems to lay the responsibility squarely on the SMRT instead. “You look at SMRT,” he reportedly said to Channelnewsasia. “It is an entity that makes profits. It is a listed company which makes profits for its shareholders. Is it fair for the public, through the government, to pay for that security either in manpower terms or in terms of the costs?”
He added that although the depot has been gazetted as a protected place, “the actual security of the premises is within the control of the company, as it should be, and SMRT has accepted that its responsibility is to provide for the security.”
This is a curious claim by the Law Minister. While no one would say that SMRT is without fault or that part of the responsibility lies with it, the fact is that the government has been providing security support to the SMRT.
In 2004, Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng, said: “In the case of MRT stations, you see that there are cameras, there are security features in places, and of course there are areas that can be improved and these are areas that are now being looked at by both the Transport Ministry, LTA, the operators themselves. And working together with MRT, the Police and the ISD and these measures will be in place from time…at the right time when the resources are available.” (MHA)
And over at the Land Transport Authority (LTA) website, it says: “A Police MRT Unit was first set up in August 2005 to complement the security in the MRT system. It has since evolved to become a fully operational police command called Transcom. The police officers of Transcom are armed and trained to look out for suspicious activities and items, conduct security patrols and checks, as well as respond to any security threat at MRT stations, trains and bus interchanges.” (LTA)
On the Singapore Police Force website, it describes the composition and responsibilities of Transcom, which was set up in 2009. “TransCom is a SPF specialist unit established to oversee and manage all policing efforts throughout the entire public land transport network in Singapore, which comprises rail (both MRT and LRT) and bus networks. Its functions include security planning, contingency planning and deployment of foot and fast response car patrols in both day-to-day and major deployments for effective response and management of security incidents in the public land transport system.”
[Is Transcom staffed by National Servicemen?]
Clearly, the government had expended resources in beefing up security for the SMRT, a “private company”, according to Mr Shanmugam.
“If they do not see SMRT as a private company,” Mr Shanmugam tells Channelnewsasia, “then that is a misconception because it is a listed company, but it is private in the broad sense that it is not a government entity. It declares dividends which goes (sic) to the shareholders.”
While this may be true, surely the SMRT is a special case and should be treated as such. This is simply because SMRT together with SBS Transit are the sole providers of public transport in Singapore, which is used by millions of Singaporeans each day. To treat transport operators as “private companies” which are responsible for (national) security is highly suspect – given that the government itself has taken pains to warn and remind Singaporeans of the terrorism threat in public transport.
Are not train depots key installations, ones which are targeted by terrorists? Did not the government itself reveal that as far back as 1997, the terrorist group, Jemaah Islamyah, had Yishun MRT station as one of its targets?
What if a bomb had been planted at the Changi Depot and resulted in casualties?
Would Mr Shanmugam say that it is the SMRT to blame? That the responsiblity for securing its premises lies with it?
Surely, Mr Shanmugam is not saying that terrorist threats to trains or train depots – key installations – are or should be the primary responsibility of the transport operators, is he? Did not the London and Madrid bombings teach us anything?
If the minister insists that SMRT is indeed solely responsible, why then is the government providing resources to them, which would contradict what Mr Shanmugam said – that it would be unfair “for the public, through the government, to pay for that security either in manpower terms or in terms of the costs”?
Is the government not already doing so – especially through Transcom?
And since it already is, why is it so adamant in passing the responsibility to the SMRT? Should not the government accept part of the responsibility as well?
The fact of the matter is that the SMRT and indeed SBS Transit are ultimately partly-owned by the government through its investment arm, Temasek Holdings, which itself falls under the charge of the Ministry of Finance.
On the SMRT website, it is clearly stated: “Temasek Holdings owns 54.5% of SMRT Corporation as at 3 June 2009.”
How then can SMRT be a “private company” when the majority share is owned by the government?
So, what is the minister talking about? I am not sure. I am also not sure he knows either.
The minister’s attempt at shirking responsibility for the security breach is therefore disingenuous – and worrying.
It is, however, nothing new. We saw the same behavior from ministers when terrorist suspect Mas Selamat Kastari gave his guards the slip and escaped to Malaysia in 2007. The Prime Minister and the Home Affairs ministers then laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of the lower-downs. In recent weeks we also saw Members of Parliament blaming everyone else but themselves for the low scores they had received for estate management. And the flooding at Orchard Road proved that accepting responsibility is something which no one wants to do. In that case, the blame was laid on the “unexpected volume of downfall” and “choked drains”.
It is disconcerting that when something goes awry, no one in authority steps up to take full responsibility. No one, including the Prime Minister who has kept a total silence on all these events, says, “The buck stops with me.”
This is the greater worry – that when it comes to national security or when things go wrong, we have no leader who dares, in the words of a friend, to “man up”.
Indeed, what we are witnessing is the Great Singapore Farce – with our ministers in the leading roles.
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PS: Mr Shanmugam’s argument that responsibility lies with the private companies, in any case, is a red herring. Perhaps inspired by “political motivation” to deflect any political costs to his party. For even when the security breach took place in a government-owned entity – as it did when Mas Selamat Kastari escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in 2007 – no one in the government took responsibility. Indeed, the finger was pointed squarely at the centre’s guards.
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*Special thanks to our Facebook fans for their input
Further Reading: The TCMR finger-pointing farce
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Mambo Jumbo Nite at the Ministry of Law!
http://www.wowmanhattan.com.sg/terms.htm
Mr Shanmugam is a first class lawyer, a top rate intellectual and a gentleman. He is the best. Thus whatever he says in his most humble way must be the truth.
Mr Shanmugam cares deeply for the welfare of the thousands of valuable human resource that take the fast and efficient trains each morning. I can feel his sincerity radiating through those wise words. That’s why he has my full support.
Indeed someone must be taking lessons from the SMRT CEO, who according to her own website is an “ardent practitioner in taiji”.
Is no-one at the top going to step-in and sort out this security and PR fiasco?
Let’s see if Singapore voters who are fed-up with this farce will do anything positive at the next elections.
Would you want leaders who take responsibility, as opposed to taiji experts?
His Highness said :
“You look at SMRT,” he reportedly said to Channelnewsasia. “It is an entity that makes profits. It is a listed company which makes profits for its shareholders. Is it fair for the public, through the government, to pay for that security either in manpower terms or in terms of the costs?”
He added that although the depot has been gazetted as a protected place, “the actual security of the premises is within the control of the company, as it should be, and SMRT has accepted that its responsibility is to provide for the security.”
The Public would like to say:
You look at Mas Selamat, he is a human entity that terrorised. It is a person which creates fear for Singaporeans. Is it fair for the public, through the government, to pay for that security either in manpower terms or in terms of the costs?
Although the detention centre in Whitley Road has been gazetted as a protected place, the actual security of the premises is within the control of the MHA, as it should be, and MHA has (not) accepted that its responsibility is to provide for the security.
“Every event is a new learning experience for us. This (rainfall|security lapse) was totally unexpected, I can be very honest about it. If you look at (rainfall|security breach) patterns, we’ve never seen such a pattern. Having said that, it means there are new things happening, so the approach we should be taking is to learn from this, improve upon it, and assure Singaporeans that we’ll do our best to prevent this as much as possible.”
Shanmugam supporter 21 June 2010
Mr Shanmugam cares deeply for the welfare of the thousands of valuable human resource that take the fast and efficient trains each morning
…………
so what do shutmudguard actualLEE does when he mentioned..he care on the mrt?
he take a ride every moanin? or he wear a wig tryin to force his way through in the crowded mrt sardin cabins?
and who privatised the smrt?
leekuanyew or harryLEE..is smrt under the wings of leekuanyew/sons inc?
yes or no will do?
if that is so
how are you shutmudguard goin to do?
take leekuanyew to court? which sections? beds or sofas?
last but not least..as a common layman..you know we the peasants..who on earth gives the rights to smrt a train operator the licenced to run buses/taxis?
what is next on the smrt project? run a train whorehoused in a newLEE fitted blackwindows cabin perhaps?
Remember, tomo if you take MRT to work and being burned. The Gov is not responsible.
Shareholders of SMRTs will be responsible.
Who the hell said that a company that affect the daily live of Singaporeans should be profit driven?
He has forgotten that MRT stations pay millions in property tax back to the Government Coffers. So getting paid well and doing nothing and pushing the buck seems to be the order of the day for these out of touch feed my face well elites
When no trouble, PAP is the government. When there’s trouble government is government. When no trouble, SMRT is part of government. When there’s trouble, SMRT is SMRT.
Anyway when this minor character talks, it is not important as they can easily be overridden. Lets wait for the father of all ministers to talk then we will know what is in their mind.
The Great Singapore Farce II – Akan Datang!
Starring:
Lee Hsien Loong – As Missing Person 1
Wong Kan Seng – As Missing Person 2
Raymond Lim – As Missing Person 3
Yaacob Ibrahim – As “The Unacceptable Flood”
K Shanmugam – As “Private Security Guard”
Get your tickets fast!
Unfortunately I have to agree with our “wonderful” PAP ministers in this case.
That Temasek is a shareholder, even a controlling shareholder, does not make a private company any less private.
That a special security unit was set up to deal with MRT threats and a show of force was made at various MRT stations from time to time does not make the Govt responsible for the security of SMRT installations itself.
It does mean, however, that instead of a comprehensive review of SMRT security arrangements, someone in Govt felt compelled to put on a show of force instead after the Madrid bombings, which I feel wasted taxpayers’ money.
Yes, heads should roll but they should come first from SMRT.
Comparing this to Mas Selamat is both correct and incorrect. Correct, in that no Minister or civil servant took responsibility– instead, it was a BG-equivalent who was demoted and forced to lose his pension. In any other democracy, the Minister for Home Affairs would have at least offered to resign. And incorrect in that you’re trying to say that, yet again the Govt is avoiding responsibility. You can’t avoid something which was not due you in the first place.
You should continue to bay for blood. But at SMRT, not PAP.
I suppose all the bustops’ security are under the SBS.
I find the TOC write-up very convincing. It was really fantastic that TOC could dig up the factual quotes of Wong Kan Seng, which directly contradicted Shanmugam’s proposition that Govt is not responsible for the security of MRT.
Facts speak for themselves and the Law Minister can no longer earn my respect since he made statements without basis, contradicting totally Home Affairs Minister’s postion.
This government is in complete disarray. If Daddy No. 1 drops dead and Son goes, there will be utter chaos. The whole country is held together on a thin piece of thread. IT is better to start early to rope in more patriotic minds with passion and get them into parliament; what is there to lose?
zero
@Akan Datang…you forgot to mention something.
” based on a true story”
The show must go on!
Let’s see any head will be rolled
in our previous failures, flood in bt timah in nov2009, this flood last week, all seems to be nature’s mishaps, go punish La Nina, she causes it… so all PAP minister will still expect Landslide in next election even if next flood brings landslides
FOR SO many years also these same actors..
Want a change of faces for the top list ??
This is indeed a classic display of world-class politicians at work. And it also answers why the Singapore ministers are paid by the millions.
Can’t you see how good they are at doing the Tai Chi martial arts in politics? The also apply the Tsu Tu Warfare of defection techniques to the extreme.
Singaporeans do not know and appreciate that they get such good politicians at a bargain.
Compare to the straigt forward stupid President of USA who accepts full responsibity for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Maxico, Singapore ministers are way smarter. Stupid USA President could easily blame the Sea God!
are you guys aware that if smrt is to beef up security, that also means higher costs to operate this private entity, which needs to make more profits for the shareholders?
so is it fair for all commuters to bear the brunt when smrt decided to increase its fares to all commuters (including the lower income group)?
nic
Is SMRT gov controlled in anyway?
If it is……..
what does it mean in terms of responsibility from a management perspective?
Totally non-gov ?
MIW are very good when it comes to demanding multi-million-dollar salary, but shirk responsibility whenever they cock up!!!
It is odd that Minister Shanmugam should hold such views concerning SMRT being a “private company”.
If SMRT is a “private company” – how should Singaporeans look at ST Engineering ?
Is it not similarly to be seen as a “private company” that is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange and pay out dividends too – and with Temasek owning 50.5 per cent of its stocks ?
Yet, with ST Kinetics (a subsidiary of STE) owning Chartered Industries – another “private company” – why are Gurkhas deployed to guard the premises of this “private company” and not at the SMRT Depot in Changi or even in Bishan ?
Similarly, Singapore Mint must be a “private company” too – as it is owned by Chartered Industries – and we see Gurkha guards also guarding the facilities of Singapore Mint.
http://www.stengg.com/investorelations/faq.aspx#stock6
They are such taichi master, Zhang San Feng will be proud of them! How many fiasco has occurred, and every time, they shrug the responsibility off…and yet claim credit for the good stuff when it may not be due to them…
Do we want these people to continue to “serve” singapore?
Who rescued the hostages from the hijacked SIA aircraft years ago?
Was it commandos from SAF or hired guns paid for by the Board of Directors of SIA then?
Wong Kan Seng could say again, “What’s happened has happened. Let’s move on.”
George Yeo could say again, “What happened was very bad. Go see your MP.”
PAP quotes and timeless and can be used in any context to try and escape from any blame! Try them the next time your boss asks you to take responsibility!
it’s all about painting a good picture of the ruling party by pushing away their responsibility to a scapegoat, very fast to “siem” when thing goes wrong in singapore.
Does it mean MRT should increase fares to cater for securities cost?
Tell me if I should vote? Is spoiling your vote better than not vote?
OMGosh that Yaacob I havent seen in years. Got FAT on PAP salary. Do Singaporean workers have minimum wage? And what is that wage anybody?
@martian : 21 June 2010
“Tell me if I should vote? Is spoiling your vote better than not vote?”
Can anyone represent you when your voice only vote is destroyed ?
A spoilt vote will make no statement about your situation.
A spoilt vote registers no opinion.
Destorying your vote will surely be as good as not voting.
Why will you even bother to put ink onto the ballot paper ?
If private compay should take national security in their own hand, should they carry arm to do their duty?
very confused
The govt privatized everything ostensibly in the name of efficiency. Actually, they do so in order to be able to point fingers when something bad happens. Such are the schemes that can only be thought up by the brightest talents sourced from the private sector and paid for with the highest salaries in the world.
atobe, my decision will depend on my constituency and who’s running.
What worries me, is that none of these jokers dare to come and own up.
They keep deflecting their responsibilites.
If this is not worrying, I don’t know what is.
It seems like, in an event of a serious situation in Singapore, you can see our PAP leaders running away and giving statements from a far away country to appease the people.
It is obvious there is no leadership and strenght to put things right.
The govt in this case should have checked and should have had a control on security, to see if SMRT is keeping up to standards.
i’m juz glad he did not BLAME us lesser mortals
If this is true so why do we see gurhka officers in petrochem installation. Why do we see SOC officers patrolling airport technically airport is a private company
Too many left and right turns
It is so strange to have a Minister who had said Singapore is not a country to comment on the issue. Don’t think he had not gotten his perspective right as to whose responsiblity is the security of SMRT belong’s to.
All this finger pointing no doubt reinforces the public’s perception that we have a teflon leadership more concerned with image. It should accept full responsibility when things went awry here, instead of deflecting security responsibility to SMRT, which it argues is a “private, listed” company, even while it owns a majority stake through Temasek Holdings. Where the safety of the public concerned, all said and done, the buck must always be seen to stop with the government. Passing it around does it no favours.
is ALL the ministers a private directors of singapoor inc? who owned singapoor inc? leekuanyew/son nia mey?
because i know you know..we didn’t employed yacoob or shutmudguard as directors of singapoor inc…
very simply put.
everything for the MIWs own benefits is government related(also mostly FOC).
anything for the benefit of ordinary citizens is private sector(that means you have to pay and no gaurantee,you die your business).
anything and evertything for FTs is also free and calls integration.
then what’s the use of being citizens?
Nicely written article.
I’m so disappointed with the govt, I must say.
I wonder whether Minster Shamemugan dares to say that SIA is a private entity. He might as well clarify for us.
Remember how SIA had to take orders from a PAP politician to fly his sick wife home. Which politician in the world can command a publicly listed airlines to fly his wife home ?
Maybe the Law Minister can also explain to use whether there is any conflict of interest for a PAP politician to direct a public listed airlines company to fly his sick wife home ?
Under what circumstances is he allowed to do that ?
Haha! Police even patrols the perimeter of the SICC at least once a day. Was reported in Sunday Times. Won’t be surprised if the journalist now hendak kaki.
Dr. Chee video on this issue hits the nail on the head. Watch it.Very convincing.
Who are the directors of all these ” private” companies. If they are private they should have nothing to hid.
Left on their own, it is not surprising for profit seeking companies to cut corners. That’s why the gahmen has to CHECK that those key installations/facilities are secure.
In the first place, did MHA issue security guidelines to SMRT? This break-in to the MRT depot seems just like a remake of Mas Selamat’s case where the security of Whitley Dentention Centre was NOT stress-tested weaknesses. Ah….such is the nature of complacency.
When Shamu now to points his finger to SMRT for failing in their duty, his four fingers are pointing back at himself and WKS.
When President Truman went to bed early on election night when the odds were against him to win the presidential elections,he woke up to find himself the ELECTED PRESIDENT ( I highly recommend reading his Bio PLAIN SPEAKING)
On his table as President stood these words carved in a wooden plaque.
” THE BUCK STOPS HERE ”
He went on to be one of the great Presidents of USA with his Plain Talking style.
What we have here is a tiny island not considered a country by its minsters who draws a salary far more than the President of the USA and ” PASSES THE BUCK ”
KINDLY FORM YOUR OWN CONCLUSION
transcom job is to do policing work instead of static duties.
u cant expect transcom to be guarding the depot perimeters. SMRT should employ resources to deter such incidents from happening.