The MRT system will only get worse until it slowly gets better. It’s a fact and we’ll need to be prepared for it.

In the meantime, SMRT should step up its game and improve on its communication.

All these while, it appears that we’ve been hearing from Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan rather than the SMRT management.

Here are 5 instances where Khaw took the hit for SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek and got dragged down by the whole fiasco that never seems to end.

1) When he chided the media 

He took issue with the media when they reported on the resignalling project because they have “magnified the problem unfairly”. He also accused the media of “frightening readers”.

Here are his infamous quotes:

“Even the main media have turned tabloid. Yes, exciting and so on… frightening readers.”

“(The media) think it’s so easy… like holding a pen and writing a few articles, and get the signalling done.”

“I wish it was so simple. If it were so simple, they don’t need us. We can ask the reporter to run the train system.”

2) When he ownself praise ownself

During the SMRT joint forum in July this year, Khaw said that the MRT system’s reliability has improved by three times since he took over the transport ministry.

Here’s what he said:

“So what have we done on MKBF? In 2015, our overall network (averaged out) MKBF was 133,000 train-km, not even 150,000 train-km. That explains why Singaporeans were so unhappy. In the first half of 2017, it has happily gone up, to nearly 400,000 (393,000) train-km.”

Yes, it has “happily gone up” but Singaporeans are still unhappy. Even if there is some truth in the improvement of rail reliability, commuters perceive Khaw as commending SMRT amid disruptions.

3) When he said Kuek’s heart is in the right place

He revealed in Parliament that Desmond Kuek volunteered for the position of SMRT Group Executive Officer.

What he said:

“He wasn’t parachuted in or being asked to go and fix this, he volunteered for this job. As the former chief of defence force, I know his heart is in the right place.”

If he really volunteered for the job and his heart is in the right place, why didn’t he bite the bullet and represent the company to address public’s frustrations? Each time the MRT screws up, he is nowhere to be seen.

Again, Khaw is seen defending Kuek. Why does he need to do that?

4) When he said the DTL delay was “bad luck”

The new stretch of Downtown Line was temporarily disrupted during the soft launch and train services were suspended for about 40mins.

Here’s what Khaw said:

“I hope commuters realise that high MKBF doesn’t mean no delay…Sometimes things will happen … For it to happen when we are doing an open house, that is bad luck.”

Perhaps a better word would be “unfortunate”. Though DTL is operated by SBS Transit, many Singaporeans still confuse NEL and DTL as SMRT’s lines.

So when Khaw said it’s bad luck, it may be taken out of context and headline readers may jump to conclusion that he’s defending SMRT again.

5) When he said “I suppose that’s life”

On the flooding incident, Khaw revealed that LTA and SMRT made a decision to replace the pumps.

It was supposed to be replaced after the flood occurred.

What Khaw said:

“So we are late by a few days. Had they proceeded to replace (the pumps) this thing might not even have happened.

“But I suppose that is life.”

Khaw should stop it

Instead of “telling SMRT off” in late Lee Kuan Yew’s no-nonsense style, Khaw is seen tolerating SMRT’s failures.

The more Minister Khaw Boon Wan tries to defend SMRT and/or Desmond Kuek, the more the good work which his ministry has done for the other segments of transportation (air and sea) will be buried as deep as the MRT tunnels in Singapore.

Minister Khaw is determined to fix the MRT issue but he should step back and let SMRT be accountable for the mess it has created for itself over the years.

SMRT is a public transport operator and they have a duty in providing reliable and safe transportation towards the citizens of Singapore.

If they fail to do so, they should man up, take on the heat and press forward until they get it right.

That’s the real Singapore spirit.

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