Inconsistent, conflicting and contradictory. These are not words you would want to use when discussing the policies of the your government or leaders. Consider the report in yesterday's paper about "Bigger, breezier hawker centre for Bedok". Stalls will increase from 6 to 13 sq meters while the roof will be built higher to improve air flow.
Yet when residents of Bishan complained that a new elderly care centre built on an open space near their apartments would block their view and be too cramped , ie: reduce air flow and light, their protestations basically fell on deaf ears. Dr Amy Khor almost choked out the reason on TalkingPoint (on ChannelNewsAsia) and I quote: "...due to constraints of SCARCITY of land", there is apparently no other choice but for those Bishan residents to bear with it. (I would suggest that they excavate a cavern underground and built the eldercare centre there, below ground!)
SO, the government ACTUALLY recognises that bigger and breezier is BETTER and is prepared to trumpet it when it suits them and earn them brownie points, otherwise why didn't they build the new hawker centre shoebox style? People spend at most an hour at a hawker centre for their meals, but they spend most of their lives in their apartments. A cramped stuffy hawker centre is an inconvenience people are prepared to bear, but an eldercare centre stuffed right in their faces is something they have to endure 24/7.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan, had the chutzpah to say that HDB flats have NOT shrunk over the years. But it turns out that this is only partially correct if non-usable areas (like aircon ledges etc) are included in the floor space. A 'trick' that his own ministry is supposed to regulate real estate companies from abusing. With regards to shoebox apartments, he is just going to "monitor the situation". We are not sure what he means by that.
When Resorts World Sentosa decided to test the limits of what it can do to attract Singaporeans to its (let's be honest here) casinos by providing free bus shuttles, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister then in charge didn't say he would "monitor the situation". He ordered the free shuttles stopped immediately. Compared to free bus shuttles, the damage caused by a need to reverse course on shoebox apartments is considerably higher. And Mr Khaw is dittering. He is unsure just which constituency he is representing: rich real estate developers looking to squeeze every last drop of profit or citizens of Singapore who will have to live in or put up with wastage of a precious resource: land, built with buildings not fit for purpose, "inhuman" as soon-to-be ex-CEO of Capitaland, Mr Liew Mun Leong put it.
Strangely enough, when it comes to culling wild boars, Mr Khaw is surprisingly decisive. He is prepared to rely on the flimsiest of trumped up reasons: "protect our babies" with apparently no need for further "monitoring" to essentially visit mass murder on innocent boars. Karma has its ways of evening things out in the
end. Who knows, Mr Khaw himself may come back as one :)
The government has employed every trick in the book when it suits its purposes:
The elderly (when building care centers without regard to existing residents and structures. I mean how can anyone argue against it? Can anyone be so hard hearted and inconsiderate to deny our elderly? Babies. This latest one from our Mr Khaw. Everyone loves babies! Yes lets kill the wild boars just in case a mere look from one will harm an innocent child. We wonder what the government will next use: Widows? Orphans?
So which is it? Big, breezy and spacious good or bad? The government can't have it both ways. When you lie and put forward courses of action that are so contrary to common sense, sooner rather than later, you will trip up and contradict yourself. And this is what we are seeing. While the government may be in two minds (saying and doing contradictory things, whenever it suits them), the electorate is increasingly aware that the government is not always acting in their interests and in this, they are of one mind.
Tuesday 26 June 2012
Saturday 23 June 2012
Are You Sleeping? Are You Sleeping, MAS?
Mr Bob Yap, a liquidator for MF Global Singapore made an interesting reply in the forum page in the Straits Times on Friday regarding a query posed by a former client of MF Global Singapore. To wit: "We were told that our funds were kept in Singapore in segregated accounts, so why is my money in Australia?"
Apparently, for clients trading in CFDs (Contracts for Difference), such funds for their margin accounts were supposed to be kept in Australia where the counter party for such trades is based. This brings up many questions.
1. Is the client in question, Mr Vernon Khoo trading in CFDs?
2. If so, why isn't Mr Vernon Khoo aware of this? Another case of mis-selling like in the Lehman case?
3. What about clients who trade more than CFDs? How does MF Global decide how to apportion their client's margin funds to be kept separately in Singapore and Australia?
4. Are segregated client funds in Australia treated any differently from those in Singapore?
With regards to question (4), if the protection afforded to client segregated funds in Australia is less than that afforded to their funds in Singapore, then it represents a loophole in the protection a client might reasonably expect to have. Is MAS aware of this?
In any case, the creditors of MF Global, whether in Singapore or Australia do not have any rights to client funds. They may only recover any outstanding debt from MF Global's OWN assets. So it is surprising that it is taking such a long time to resolve. Who is paying for the services of liquidators like Mr Bob Yap?
More importantly, in this whole saga, MAS has not come out to clarify the terms of segregated client funds. Is MF Global the ONLY company that has been making free with its clients funds? What about the other investment/finance/brokerage companies? Is MAS cracking down on them to ensure that what happened to MF Global's clients do not happen to clients of other such firms?
I think the can of worms is so BIG that MAS doesn't know how to handle it. Such financial chicanery/shenanigans is so deeply embedded in the fabric of how these financial firms do business that if MAS were to crack down on it, our vaunted status as a significant player in the field will wither as all the major players will leave.
We've used the lure of our CPF funds to kick start our financial industry. Unfortunately for Singaporeans, when Mr Goh Chok Tong promised a Swiss standard of living for us, he didn't clarify that it was only for the bankers. When it comes down to it, (so far at least), MAS appears to prefer to let Singaporean investors be screwed rather than to do the right thing.
Apparently, for clients trading in CFDs (Contracts for Difference), such funds for their margin accounts were supposed to be kept in Australia where the counter party for such trades is based. This brings up many questions.
1. Is the client in question, Mr Vernon Khoo trading in CFDs?
2. If so, why isn't Mr Vernon Khoo aware of this? Another case of mis-selling like in the Lehman case?
3. What about clients who trade more than CFDs? How does MF Global decide how to apportion their client's margin funds to be kept separately in Singapore and Australia?
4. Are segregated client funds in Australia treated any differently from those in Singapore?
With regards to question (4), if the protection afforded to client segregated funds in Australia is less than that afforded to their funds in Singapore, then it represents a loophole in the protection a client might reasonably expect to have. Is MAS aware of this?
In any case, the creditors of MF Global, whether in Singapore or Australia do not have any rights to client funds. They may only recover any outstanding debt from MF Global's OWN assets. So it is surprising that it is taking such a long time to resolve. Who is paying for the services of liquidators like Mr Bob Yap?
More importantly, in this whole saga, MAS has not come out to clarify the terms of segregated client funds. Is MF Global the ONLY company that has been making free with its clients funds? What about the other investment/finance/brokerage companies? Is MAS cracking down on them to ensure that what happened to MF Global's clients do not happen to clients of other such firms?
I think the can of worms is so BIG that MAS doesn't know how to handle it. Such financial chicanery/shenanigans is so deeply embedded in the fabric of how these financial firms do business that if MAS were to crack down on it, our vaunted status as a significant player in the field will wither as all the major players will leave.
We've used the lure of our CPF funds to kick start our financial industry. Unfortunately for Singaporeans, when Mr Goh Chok Tong promised a Swiss standard of living for us, he didn't clarify that it was only for the bankers. When it comes down to it, (so far at least), MAS appears to prefer to let Singaporean investors be screwed rather than to do the right thing.
Wild Boars Attacked by Minister Khaw
Day by day, incident by incident, the credibility of the government sinks ever lower. Two wild boars wandered into Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park and apparently charged at a security guard and a child. A perfect cover and EXCUSE to justify an already desired government action.
Wild boars bad right? Actually this is what is called being economical with the truth. We are not told WHY the wild boar charged. What did the security guard do? Was he just standing there silently? Or did he more likely try to scare the animal away by shouting at it, or even throwing sticks or stones at it?
Faced with an aggressive human, the wild boar was within its rights to charge at the security guard since it was being harassed. The security guard likely moved away to avoid the boar and the child was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time and was targeted by the boar instead (as another human). That the child's life was endangered was likely due to the actions of the security guard. This is more likely the more complete version of what happened.
"My priority is to protect our babies". Please Mr Khaw, what do you take us Singaporeans for? Idiots? Using potential dangers to babies to justify culling the boars? Unprovoked, the tendency for wild boars is to flee from humans. They have been living for years in Singapore. If they have a natural instinct to hurt humans, they would have done so many times in the past and there would have been numerous such incidents. You might want to ask the "two university professors" if humans are a natural target for wild boars. I can tell you the answer is no.
Since Mr Khaw is SO concerned about the safety of our babies, perhaps his ministry should make it compulsory that all windows in highrise apartments be permanently sealed shut. Quite a few children have fallen out of them when left unattended. It will also save quite a few maids from toppling out as well when they clean the windows or hang out the washing. How about that, Mr Khaw?
Actually, Mr Khaw, your ministry is directly responsible for this incident. You are destroying our ever shrinking wild and green spaces, the habitat of the wild boars, to build more and more HDB flats, private condos etc to house more and more foreigners. By reducing their habitat, you are forcing their population densities to go up in the remaining green areas and when the population pressures get too high, they spill out into our parks. Can we blame them?
No, we blame you, first for not speaking up and standing up to your cabinet colleagues on their flawed economic growth strategy based on ever increasing imports of foreign workers and secondly, for building ever more housing on our remaining green areas. It is the human population that needs managing. Killing off every single last wild boar would not solve our housing/elderly/jobs situation.
Singaporeans got attacked by greedy shoebox apartment developers and Minister Khaw says: "I'll monitor the situation." CEO of CapitaLand says shoebox apartments are "inhuman" and several weeks later, steps down, apparently to pursue personal interests. A likely provoked wild boar charges some humans and it's: We've got to kill them! Wow...so decisive! Yes, it may be necessary to reduce the size of the wild boar population, but please, don't use "protecting our babies" as justification. That's just insulting!
In the meantime, the Gardens by the Bay is opening. I don't think there are any wild gingers or seeds of primary forest trees there to destroy. Why don't we relocate some wild boar there? It will help to attract more visitors!
Wild boars bad right? Actually this is what is called being economical with the truth. We are not told WHY the wild boar charged. What did the security guard do? Was he just standing there silently? Or did he more likely try to scare the animal away by shouting at it, or even throwing sticks or stones at it?
Faced with an aggressive human, the wild boar was within its rights to charge at the security guard since it was being harassed. The security guard likely moved away to avoid the boar and the child was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time and was targeted by the boar instead (as another human). That the child's life was endangered was likely due to the actions of the security guard. This is more likely the more complete version of what happened.
"My priority is to protect our babies". Please Mr Khaw, what do you take us Singaporeans for? Idiots? Using potential dangers to babies to justify culling the boars? Unprovoked, the tendency for wild boars is to flee from humans. They have been living for years in Singapore. If they have a natural instinct to hurt humans, they would have done so many times in the past and there would have been numerous such incidents. You might want to ask the "two university professors" if humans are a natural target for wild boars. I can tell you the answer is no.
Since Mr Khaw is SO concerned about the safety of our babies, perhaps his ministry should make it compulsory that all windows in highrise apartments be permanently sealed shut. Quite a few children have fallen out of them when left unattended. It will also save quite a few maids from toppling out as well when they clean the windows or hang out the washing. How about that, Mr Khaw?
Actually, Mr Khaw, your ministry is directly responsible for this incident. You are destroying our ever shrinking wild and green spaces, the habitat of the wild boars, to build more and more HDB flats, private condos etc to house more and more foreigners. By reducing their habitat, you are forcing their population densities to go up in the remaining green areas and when the population pressures get too high, they spill out into our parks. Can we blame them?
No, we blame you, first for not speaking up and standing up to your cabinet colleagues on their flawed economic growth strategy based on ever increasing imports of foreign workers and secondly, for building ever more housing on our remaining green areas. It is the human population that needs managing. Killing off every single last wild boar would not solve our housing/elderly/jobs situation.
Singaporeans got attacked by greedy shoebox apartment developers and Minister Khaw says: "I'll monitor the situation." CEO of CapitaLand says shoebox apartments are "inhuman" and several weeks later, steps down, apparently to pursue personal interests. A likely provoked wild boar charges some humans and it's: We've got to kill them! Wow...so decisive! Yes, it may be necessary to reduce the size of the wild boar population, but please, don't use "protecting our babies" as justification. That's just insulting!
In the meantime, the Gardens by the Bay is opening. I don't think there are any wild gingers or seeds of primary forest trees there to destroy. Why don't we relocate some wild boar there? It will help to attract more visitors!
Sunday 17 June 2012
Why Ferrari Owners Have To Be Culled
Their population is surging. These is due to our open door policy for anyone with money. Witness the recent addition of Eduardo Saverin and Nathan Tinkler for example. (These are the people who can afford such cars).
They are a threat to public safety. Witness the recent case of the Ferrari driver running the red light at a traffic junction by a Chinese PR which resulted in multiple casualties. Together with apparently double standards when it comes to enforcement of road safety regulations by the traffic police towards owners of such cars, public safety is doubly jeopardised.
They destroy forests. Okay, Ferrari owners are only partly to be blamed for this. But basically rising ownership of private vehicles is causing traffic congestion and results in more of our green spaces being destroyed to build more roads. Bukit Brown anyone?
This is obviously a tongue-in-cheek response to the recent decision by the authorities to cull the wild boar population in Singapore. Note that wild boars have yet to threaten much less hurt anyone. And we already want to kill them just in case. How many people are killed by cars on our roads? Yet, no one has called for a ban or reduction in car numbers.
Yes, they may trample undergrowth, eat seeds and wild ginger. Their impact on forest regeneration is negligible compared to the size of forest land that we destroy to build housing for people that the government wants to import in ever increasing numbers. When such land is cleared, what do you think happens to all the seeds and wild ginger? I think a reduction in human population will have a far larger positive impact on reducing damage to our environment.
We may unfortunately have to do some level of culling eventually. If so, we need to ensure that it doesn't degenerate into the kind of 'scientific' culling like that done by Japanese 'scientists'/whalers where the meat ends up being sold in the market. I would suggest that any culled boars only be given to the zoo to supplement the diet of predatory animals like the tigers and leopards.
In the meantime, it still amazes me how quick the authorities can move on issues when it suits them and their agenda. Witness what happened to the hobby farmer on former KTM railway land in Clementi. Behaviour of this sort that we used to associate with lesser governments in other countries (which will diplomatically remain unnamed). Or the recent Woffles Wu speeding case...
They are a threat to public safety. Witness the recent case of the Ferrari driver running the red light at a traffic junction by a Chinese PR which resulted in multiple casualties. Together with apparently double standards when it comes to enforcement of road safety regulations by the traffic police towards owners of such cars, public safety is doubly jeopardised.
They destroy forests. Okay, Ferrari owners are only partly to be blamed for this. But basically rising ownership of private vehicles is causing traffic congestion and results in more of our green spaces being destroyed to build more roads. Bukit Brown anyone?
This is obviously a tongue-in-cheek response to the recent decision by the authorities to cull the wild boar population in Singapore. Note that wild boars have yet to threaten much less hurt anyone. And we already want to kill them just in case. How many people are killed by cars on our roads? Yet, no one has called for a ban or reduction in car numbers.
Yes, they may trample undergrowth, eat seeds and wild ginger. Their impact on forest regeneration is negligible compared to the size of forest land that we destroy to build housing for people that the government wants to import in ever increasing numbers. When such land is cleared, what do you think happens to all the seeds and wild ginger? I think a reduction in human population will have a far larger positive impact on reducing damage to our environment.
We may unfortunately have to do some level of culling eventually. If so, we need to ensure that it doesn't degenerate into the kind of 'scientific' culling like that done by Japanese 'scientists'/whalers where the meat ends up being sold in the market. I would suggest that any culled boars only be given to the zoo to supplement the diet of predatory animals like the tigers and leopards.
In the meantime, it still amazes me how quick the authorities can move on issues when it suits them and their agenda. Witness what happened to the hobby farmer on former KTM railway land in Clementi. Behaviour of this sort that we used to associate with lesser governments in other countries (which will diplomatically remain unnamed). Or the recent Woffles Wu speeding case...
Friday 15 June 2012
The Nimby List
We have all heard about the White Horse list and the Flying Dragon list of the SAF. One, the White Horse contains the names of sons of the elite (politicians and possibly well connected businessmen) who allegedly are given preferential treatment during their NS stints.
To this I would venture that there is yet another less well known list and given the current discord in the community, I would call it the: Nimby List. This is the list containing the residential addresses of again, politicians, highly placed civil servants and well connected businessmen.
This list should be well known among the top echelons of organisations like the SLA (Singapore Land Authority), URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) and the LTA (Land & Transport Authority). They might not know who exactly the residents of these locations are, but these areas are likely blacked out in their planning maps.
There is a 'magical force field' around these properties where road and MRT developments, even those much needed for you know: "progress" would magically veer away. These properties will never have their front gardens slashed when the existing two lane road gets expanded to four lanes unlike those of people not on the list. In fact, if a planned MRT track needed to make a 90 degree turn to avoid such a Nimby list property, it would be so rather than inconvenience the residents of such a property on the Nimby list.
If you happen to be a newbie LTA engineer and didn't know to avoid certain areas, you can kiss your career goodbye if your plans jeopardised the ambience of any such Nimby list properties. If you are a property developer (and not in the inner circle) and wanted to develop a super skyscraper condo that would overshadow such a Nimby list property, you will probably find that your plans are mysteriously misplaced and building approval equally mysteriously delayed...indefinitely.
The local media who showed such initiative in ferreting out the business dealings of Mr Png Eng Huat should apply their skills in finding out how many (if any) of our politicians and senior civil servants have been 'inconvenienced' as a result of development of roads, eldercare nursing homes etc... Lead by example they say. I think a multi-story nursing home built next to a certain residence in Oxley Road would be a start, don't you agree? :)
To this I would venture that there is yet another less well known list and given the current discord in the community, I would call it the: Nimby List. This is the list containing the residential addresses of again, politicians, highly placed civil servants and well connected businessmen.
This list should be well known among the top echelons of organisations like the SLA (Singapore Land Authority), URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) and the LTA (Land & Transport Authority). They might not know who exactly the residents of these locations are, but these areas are likely blacked out in their planning maps.
There is a 'magical force field' around these properties where road and MRT developments, even those much needed for you know: "progress" would magically veer away. These properties will never have their front gardens slashed when the existing two lane road gets expanded to four lanes unlike those of people not on the list. In fact, if a planned MRT track needed to make a 90 degree turn to avoid such a Nimby list property, it would be so rather than inconvenience the residents of such a property on the Nimby list.
If you happen to be a newbie LTA engineer and didn't know to avoid certain areas, you can kiss your career goodbye if your plans jeopardised the ambience of any such Nimby list properties. If you are a property developer (and not in the inner circle) and wanted to develop a super skyscraper condo that would overshadow such a Nimby list property, you will probably find that your plans are mysteriously misplaced and building approval equally mysteriously delayed...indefinitely.
The local media who showed such initiative in ferreting out the business dealings of Mr Png Eng Huat should apply their skills in finding out how many (if any) of our politicians and senior civil servants have been 'inconvenienced' as a result of development of roads, eldercare nursing homes etc... Lead by example they say. I think a multi-story nursing home built next to a certain residence in Oxley Road would be a start, don't you agree? :)
Friday 8 June 2012
More Retarded Thinking (MRT)
Mr Lui Tuck Yew has revealed that the government plans to built MORE MRT lines in the future. MORE however is not the solution and the government/Mr Lui does not seem able to grasp that fact. More is the can kicking and simplistic solution that does not need someone of ministerial calibre to propose.
Building new lines will NOT ease crowding or increase capacity of existing lines simply because existing lines are crowded due of their DESTINATIONS. Eg: If the majority of the crowds on the train want to go to Raffles Place MRT station, more MRT lines that do not stop there will not help at all. If anything, they will funnel even more people from places not currently served by the MRT into the system thereby further exacerbating the situation.
Building more MRT lines is not unlike building flyovers to 'ease' traffic congestion on roads. They actually do nothing of the sort. All flyovers do is to merely transfer the problem from one location to another.
Even more retarded thinking is in evidence by LTA plans to send people down to bus stops to check on arrival times of buses. Do you see the desperation here people? In addition to 'check Mang' (mosquitoes) inspectors, expect a 'Check Bus' job opening coming soon to a job fair near you.
These bus spotters are also supposed to audit how packed the buses are. All of these information should be easily available through the Easylink payment system. When does a bus arrive at a bus stop? That can be obtained from the time a passenger's Easylink card is deducted on boarding the bus. How crowded is the bus? That information can be found (throughout a bus' journey) by the number of passengers on board compared to its allowed optimum capacity.
If the bus company's IT department has any personnel worthy of having an IT designation, these information can easily be obtained (possibly even in real time) for any of its buses on the road. Why are we wasting human resources doing unnecessary work and doing it stupidly? These bus spotters will still have to input their data or send their report back somehow somewhere. Why do this when all the necessary information is already available in a computer system?
This, ladies and gentlemen is the quality of 'thinking' that is coming out of our Minister Lui and the Admin level officers from his ministry and various departments like the LTA. These are the people who are running/ruining our country and whom we are (still) paying top dollar for.
The only real solution is to reduce ridership. And the best way to reduce ridership is to reduce the size of our population. LESS is More. Any 'solution' that requires MORE input/resources is not a solution. If More is indeed the panacea of all our problems, then why has the government not fully supported Prof Lim Chong Yah's proposal to pay lower income workers substantially MORE?
Building new lines will NOT ease crowding or increase capacity of existing lines simply because existing lines are crowded due of their DESTINATIONS. Eg: If the majority of the crowds on the train want to go to Raffles Place MRT station, more MRT lines that do not stop there will not help at all. If anything, they will funnel even more people from places not currently served by the MRT into the system thereby further exacerbating the situation.
Building more MRT lines is not unlike building flyovers to 'ease' traffic congestion on roads. They actually do nothing of the sort. All flyovers do is to merely transfer the problem from one location to another.
Even more retarded thinking is in evidence by LTA plans to send people down to bus stops to check on arrival times of buses. Do you see the desperation here people? In addition to 'check Mang' (mosquitoes) inspectors, expect a 'Check Bus' job opening coming soon to a job fair near you.
These bus spotters are also supposed to audit how packed the buses are. All of these information should be easily available through the Easylink payment system. When does a bus arrive at a bus stop? That can be obtained from the time a passenger's Easylink card is deducted on boarding the bus. How crowded is the bus? That information can be found (throughout a bus' journey) by the number of passengers on board compared to its allowed optimum capacity.
If the bus company's IT department has any personnel worthy of having an IT designation, these information can easily be obtained (possibly even in real time) for any of its buses on the road. Why are we wasting human resources doing unnecessary work and doing it stupidly? These bus spotters will still have to input their data or send their report back somehow somewhere. Why do this when all the necessary information is already available in a computer system?
This, ladies and gentlemen is the quality of 'thinking' that is coming out of our Minister Lui and the Admin level officers from his ministry and various departments like the LTA. These are the people who are running/ruining our country and whom we are (still) paying top dollar for.
The only real solution is to reduce ridership. And the best way to reduce ridership is to reduce the size of our population. LESS is More. Any 'solution' that requires MORE input/resources is not a solution. If More is indeed the panacea of all our problems, then why has the government not fully supported Prof Lim Chong Yah's proposal to pay lower income workers substantially MORE?
Thursday 7 June 2012
Claws of Contention
After much hand wringing and a COI investigation, the reason for the MRT breakdowns at the end of last year is still a mystery. But just to be safe, all the existing claws will be replaced by a newer 5th generation design (which already has some recorded failures).
A basic question: Are the claws designed to fall off? were apparently not even asked. It could be that in the event of a fault, it is safer (and cheaper) for the claw to fail. If not damage could be done to both the train and the third rail which would be more costly both in terms of time and money to repair.
In any case, a better solution is to monitor the state of the claws continuously so that if any become misaligned or show signs of breaking off, a rapid response team could be despatched to repair it before the situation becomes worse.
One way to do this is to attach a camera to the trains to take pictures of the claws as the trains travel along the track. Imaging software is sophisticated enough nowadays to be able to detect any potential problems (like misalignment of a claw leading to a potential failure) so that the process can be automated. A human can visually inspect the image of any claw flagged as having a problem for confirmation before taking action.
Another basic question is: How are the track maintenance crews currently deployed to check the tracks? On what basis are they sent to inspect a particular section of the track? The automated system suggested above can come up with a prioritised list of sites at the end of each day based on its analysis of the images. Maintenance crews can thus be more effectively deployed to locations most likely to have potential issues.
With the MRT breakdowns becoming political issues, replacement rather than maintenance will be the default choice of action in a typically Singaporean kiasu manner. What this means is that you the taxpayer will be footing a higher cost and you as a passenger will likely be hit with higher fares.
We need a system of incentives and disincentives to prevent this. Any percentage rise in maintenance cost must result in a similar percentage drop in the salaries of the executives and maintenance personnel. Similarly, to be fair, any percentage drop in maintenance costs (with no increase in breakdowns/disruption of services) will result in an equivalent percentage rise in bonuses for them.
These are just some commonsensical measures that should be implemented as part of the COI's recommendations. I guess we will find out soon enough if the COI is just for show or is serious about actually addressing the issues surrounding the MRT breakdowns.
A basic question: Are the claws designed to fall off? were apparently not even asked. It could be that in the event of a fault, it is safer (and cheaper) for the claw to fail. If not damage could be done to both the train and the third rail which would be more costly both in terms of time and money to repair.
In any case, a better solution is to monitor the state of the claws continuously so that if any become misaligned or show signs of breaking off, a rapid response team could be despatched to repair it before the situation becomes worse.
One way to do this is to attach a camera to the trains to take pictures of the claws as the trains travel along the track. Imaging software is sophisticated enough nowadays to be able to detect any potential problems (like misalignment of a claw leading to a potential failure) so that the process can be automated. A human can visually inspect the image of any claw flagged as having a problem for confirmation before taking action.
Another basic question is: How are the track maintenance crews currently deployed to check the tracks? On what basis are they sent to inspect a particular section of the track? The automated system suggested above can come up with a prioritised list of sites at the end of each day based on its analysis of the images. Maintenance crews can thus be more effectively deployed to locations most likely to have potential issues.
With the MRT breakdowns becoming political issues, replacement rather than maintenance will be the default choice of action in a typically Singaporean kiasu manner. What this means is that you the taxpayer will be footing a higher cost and you as a passenger will likely be hit with higher fares.
We need a system of incentives and disincentives to prevent this. Any percentage rise in maintenance cost must result in a similar percentage drop in the salaries of the executives and maintenance personnel. Similarly, to be fair, any percentage drop in maintenance costs (with no increase in breakdowns/disruption of services) will result in an equivalent percentage rise in bonuses for them.
These are just some commonsensical measures that should be implemented as part of the COI's recommendations. I guess we will find out soon enough if the COI is just for show or is serious about actually addressing the issues surrounding the MRT breakdowns.
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