Almost six years after he took up the role of president and group CEO of SMRT Corp, Desmond Kuek is stepping down from the role. Citing reliable sources, ST reported that Kuek’s successor is expected to be former Chief of Defence Force (CDF) Neo Kian Hong. Neo, 54, succeeded Kuek, 55, as CDF in 2010. He is currently permanent secretary for defence development. This follows months of speculation that Kuek will step down. Kuek‘s tenure as CEO was marked by numerous incidents such as a tunnel flood that resulted in a 20-hour disruption in train services and a train collision that injured 38 people, as well as an increasing frequency of breakdowns. In Oct 2017, Kuek alluded to “deep-seated cultural issues” within SMRT which he had been unable to resolve during his watch. Kuek and his team seemed unable to resolve the perennial issue of service breakdowns.... Continue Reading