The train collision marked a new low for SMRT and our Nation. Louder comes the call for heads to roll from the very top. What is at the root of the SMRT failures?
SMRT is a corporation (private) that is owned by the Government. Supposedly, this model of corporatizing public services serve to benefit all stake holders. We hear this idealistic scenario again recently in Parliament, when Mr Khaw Boon Wan made the same points in response to questions. But have all stakeholders benefited as claimed or only their select few?
A private corporation exist for profit while a public service exists to serve the public. So there is a fundamental problem to begin with when the Government decides to run public services like a business. Try as you will but you cannot have the cake and eat it too.
After more than 50 years of running the country like a business against all wisdoms cautioning the dangers of profiting off public services, Singaporeans are witnessing the inevitable happen. The so-called efficiency comes at a huge expense to the public. When public officers meant to serve public interest failed their fiduciary duties as the structure of check and balances are compromised by colluding conflict of interests producing a public/private self-serving mess that we now inherited.
When the next election comes, we must correct this by voting our rights to take back this Nation and stop their failed projects (HDB, COE, ERP, CPF, 6.9 Million people, etc.) on their tracks.
Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas
