by Tan Kwong Moh
Transport Minister, Mr Khaw Boon Wan wrote on his Facebook saying that he turned 65 on Dec 8, but he felt like a 70 years old man because of the unresolved MRT woes. Does it mean that he may step down as transport minister?
Yes, MRT commuters are frustrated because of too many MRT woes, such as delays, breakdowns due to problems with the new signalling system or track-faults which still can’t be resolved till date.
The worst incidents till date were the collision of two trains at Joo Koon station and the malfunctioning pumps in Bishan which led to flooding in the MRT tunnel in October. According to the experts, the flooding incident was preventable and therefore eight staff involved in this incident had been fired by SMRT.
Now Mr Khaw admitted he is old. And we understand that he also went for heart surgery before. So, perhaps it is advisable for him to consider stepping down or take up a less stressful and lighter responsibility of portfolio.
For the sake of Mr Khaw’s health and also the benefit of all MRT commuters, he should consider to step down. This is also to pave the way for the new energetic young team to tackle the long overdue MRT woes, which is a hot-button issue for top management.
MRT commuters sincerely hope someone who is more capable can help to resolve our public transport problem which has become our national issue and not just to give lip-service with no improvement at all.
