SMRT - Internal Crisis Leadership

SMU487
SMRT: INTERNAL CRISIS LEADERSHIP

22 March 2016 started out as any normal day. Mr Desmond Kuek (DK), the President and Group
CEO of SMRT Corporation Limited, a multi-modal public transport operator in Singapore, was at a
meeting with Temasek Holdings, a state-owned global investing company and major shareholder of
the SMRT group. DK had just completed a briefing to the board when the Managing Director of
SMRT Trains, Mr Lee Ling Wee (Ling Wee), who was also at the meeting, received a call on his
mobile. The news was not just bad – it was tragic. Just a few minutes earlier, two SMRT maintenance
staff had been hit by a train and killed on the tracks.
The gravity of the news hit everyone in the room. DK said he realised that the immediate priority
was leadership presence and swift action. There were multiple stakeholders to manage, including the
deceased and their families, the affected staff and the rest of the company, as well as the public at
large. Already the news had broken online, and the media was gathering at the scene to get first-hand
information on what had happened.
SMRT had, since its inception in 1987, been recognised internationally for its service efficiency -
but since 2011, it had seen its reputation erode on account of a series of breakdowns that had led to
disruptions and public inconvenience. The rail reliability had been declining due to the ageing system
and heavy usage. The outpouring of public discontent on social media had made the public transport
system one of the hot-button issues in the country. In January 2012, the CEO had resigned, and a
Board member was put in place as an interim measure to steer the company through a very public
Committee of Inquiry (COI) over the rail incidents. DK was brought in as the President and Group
CEO in October 2012 to revive the embattled organisation and the demoralised workforce. He had
focused on motivating the staff, which, he believed, was fundamental to improving organisational
efficiency and service excellence. By early 2016, notwithstanding structural and operational issues
in the rail business that continued to challenge the company, rail reliability and staff engagement had
steadily improved and reached its highest point since 2013. 1,2
That morning’s accident came as a devastating blow to his efforts. Deeply saddened by the news, he
quickly gathered himself to respond to the crisis. DK was aware that along with genuine sympathy
for the families of the deceased, as a leader he would need to comfort the shocked employees and
inspire resilience amongst the workers to continue with their work. At the same time, an immediate
investigation into what had gone wrong needed to be launched, and a review of system safety was
crucial to assure the safety of commuters and staff. The media hunger for information, and who or
what was to be blamed for the incident, needed to be satisfied. Beyond these immediate steps were
downstream decisions about work processes and responsibilities that had to be enhanced.
More importantly, as the intensity of the crisis faded and investigations were over, disciplinary
1
The Land Transport Authority, “The Rail Report: Rail Reliability Continues to Improve – More Rail Renewal Projects in the
Pipeline”, 24 May 2017, https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=dfde4510-8fb3-4f69-b992-a0c52a20a6f6, accessed
May 2018.
2
Akankasha Dewan, “Case Study: How SMRT halved its Voluntary Attrition Rate”, Human Resources, 4 March 2016,
https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/case-study-smrt-halved-voluntary-attrition-rate/, accessed May 2018.
This case was written by Professor Augustine Pang and Lakshmi Appasamy at the Singapore Management University. The
case was prepared solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or
ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information
to protect confidentiality.
Copyright © 2018, Singapore Management University Version: 2018-07-03
This document is authorized for use only in prof.sriparna basu's IIM Sambalpur/ Term II/2021-22/Written Analysis Communication at Indian Institute of Management - Sambalpur from Oct 2021
to Mar 2022.
SMU-19-0007 SMRT: Internal Crisis Leadership
measures had to be meted out to the people responsible (see below) - for which DK would eventually
face criticism. How should DK calibrate his decisions in the face of criticism?
SMRT CORPORATION
A Nation’s Pride 3
The idea for a national rail system was proposed soon after Singapore became independent and
culminated in the incorporation of Singapore Mass Rapid Transport (SMRT) Limited on 6 August
1987. SMRT handled the operations of the MRT system, which then comprised the North-South (NS)
and East-West lines (EW). The lines were built, owned and operated by Mass Rapid Transport
Corporation (MRTC), the predecessor of Land Transport Authority (LTA). As part of the country’s
major infrastructure and backbone of the public transport system, the private rail operator evolved to
become a national icon and SMRT Corporation Limited was listed in the Singapore Exchange in July
2000. In 2001, SMRT merged with Trans-Island Bus Holding (TIBS), a bus and taxi operator, to
become Singapore’s first multi-modal transport operator.
By 2016, SMRT was operating the North-South, East-West and Circle lines (refer to Exhibit 1 for
Singapore’s MRT network in 2016) as well as the Bukit Panjang LRT network with more than two
million passenger trips per day on its network and a fleet of over 1,400 buses, 3,000 taxis, 106 MRT
trains and 19 LRT train cars. Besides the fare-based revenue, SMRT also earned non-fare revenues
from renting commercial retail spaces in the stations and media and advertising spaces in the stations
and trains.
On A Bumpy Ride
SMRT train services came under the critics’ scanner after a series of vandalism incidents and rail
delays, and two major breakdowns that occurred in December 2011 affecting more than 200,000
commuters, which led to a massive public backlash. The Committee of Inquiry (COI) set up by the
government concluded that maintenance lapses had caused the breakdowns. SMRT was rapped with
a fine of S$2 million (US$1.58 million) 4 for the breakdowns. 5 Despite the hard work put in by the
maintenance and operations staff, the overused and aging structure and system resulting in falling
rail reliability and growing public dissent was gradually eroding employees’ morale. Many were
experiencing stress and anxiety in their jobs. 6
Steering Through the Crosswinds
The COI that investigated the 2011 breakdowns highlighted that despite being a listed company
accountable to its shareholders, SMRT’s primary and most fundamental stakeholders were its
commuters. It reiterated the need to focus on maintenance and service efficiency. Whoever was at
the helm needed to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders – the public and the commuters, the
employees, the regulators and the shareholders.
3
Moving Stories, SMRT Corporation, 2017, http://movingstories.smrt.com.sg, accessed May 2018.
4
US$1 = 1.26 SGD
5
Chew Hui Min, “Power Shutdown at North-South, East-West Lines: Past Major Train Disruptions”, The Straits Times,
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/power-shutdown-at-north-south-east-west-lines-past-major-train-disruptions, 8July
2015, accessed May 2018.
6
SMRT Blog, “SMRT CEO Desmond Kuek at HR Summit 2016”, 1 June 2016, http://blog.smrt.com.sg/smrt-ceo-desmond-kuek-at-hr-
summit-2016/, accessed May 2018.
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to Mar 2022.
Against this tumultuous backdrop, DK, a former Chief of Defence Force (the highest-ranking
military position at the Singapore Armed Forces), and former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of the Environment and Water Resources, took the helm at SMRT in October 2012. Soon after
assuming leadership, DK rolled out a multi-year rail transformation project that would improve the
rail reliability by focusing on maintenance and engineering functions and capabilities as well as
renewal and upgrade of assets. Right from the onset, he believed that focusing on employees was
pivotal to inspiring commitment to enhance operational performance and create a positive customer
experience. Recounting his approach to build reliability and service excellence, DK shared,
It is people who underpin operational reliability, service excellence, workforce relations,

productivity, process excellence and business growth. Therefore, our people must be at the heart
of all we do.
DK was keen to foster an open culture of exchange and communication, which he deemed to be
essential for inculcating a positive work culture and boosting morale. On his first day at work, he
sent out an email to all staff titled, “What are you thinking?”, to encourage people to share their
thoughts on how to improve the company’s performance, or voice out their problems at work and
suggest changes that could help them work better. The initiative worked; staff shared their ideas and
apprehensions and more importantly, they felt they were being heard, respected and appreciated.
The example of the CEO writing directly to the staff and opening up a channel for direct interaction
inspired other managers in the company to follow suit and listen to feedback. The efforts were
rewarding, and staff morale shored up. 7 However, major breakdowns continued as the network
continued ageing, weighed down by ever more intensive utilisation and increasing commuter loads,
with the incessant public criticism continuing to haunt the morale of the employees.
Tragedy Strikes
The Accident
On 22 March 2016, at around 11:00 am, a 15-member group comprising workers from Permanent
Way Team8 and Signal Team 9 as well as some trainees observing maintenance work as part of their
on-job training, were deployed to investigate a warning registered by a signalling condition
monitoring device located 150 meters away from the Pasir Ris MRT station platform on the East-
West line. Led by an assistant engineer, the team walked in single file on the maintenance walkway
beside the track towards the device. As the work party neared the device, the assistant engineer and
the front members of the signalling group stepped on to the track. At 11:08 am, a train entering the
Pasir Ris station at a speed of about 60 kmph from the opposite direction of the work party hit two
of the workers. Both of them, Asyraf, aged 24, and Nasrul, aged 26 years,10 suffered multiple injuries
and were pronounced dead at the scene. The two deceased were trainees and had been with the
company for just two months.
7
An Organisational Climate Survey conducted by Towers Watson in 2015 revealed that nine out of ten employees said that they were
proud to be in SMRT. 80% of the staff were surveyed.
8
Permanent Way Team was in charge of carrying out repair and maintenance work of the tracks and track side infrastructure.
9
The train traffic along the entire network of the MRT was controlled by a signaling system that enabled automatic operations of the train
including the opening and closing of train doors at the stations. The Signal Team was in charge of maintaining the signaling system and
repairing signaling related faults.
10
Full names withheld.
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Though the driver of the train had applied the emergency brakes upon spotting the workers on track,
he could not stop the train on time. The train had been running on auto-mode. The two deceased were
second and third in the line behind the assistant engineer. The assistant engineer who was leading the
work party managed to jump to the safety of the walkway on noticing the oncoming train. There were
no other injuries reported. Internal investigations would later reveal that several critical safety
procedures were ignored, causing the fatal accident. The accident was immediately reported to the
Operations Control Centre (OCC), located in the corporate headquarters, from where it was relayed
to the CEO.
Taking Stock
Recalling the phone call then, DK said,
No matter what preparations you have made for crisis and contingencies at the system level,
nothing prepares you quite enough for shocking news of this nature. My immediate thoughts were
about the families of the two colleagues we had lost, and the well-being of the rest of the people
at the scene. We immediately adjourned our meeting so that we could deal with the emergency
situation at hand.
DK and Ling Wee rushed back to the OCC to take stock of the situation. Comforting and supporting
the bereaved families of the two young men who were killed was the first priority.
It was also essential to ensure that the rest of the members of the work party were given post-trauma
care and support. The information flow within the organisation had to be streamlined to prevent
rumours from spreading, and this was critical for two reasons; first, the father and brother of one of
the deceased were also working for SMRT and any insensitive information would adversely impact
them; and second, the chaos of misinformation could further drag down the morale of the staff who
were already in a state of shock from the incident, and that could impinge on the safety of operations.
Within minutes, the media had started to swarm the station, hungry for information about what
happened. Following the accident, train service had been immediately suspended along the stretch
between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris stations and would remain so until the investigation formalities
were completed by the Police. Commuters affected by the disruption also needed to be managed.
Finally, the LTA, Ministry of Transport and government agencies such as the Ministry of Manpower,
the Police department and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had to be engaged.
Response Strategy
Activation of Units
Each of the stakeholder groups – the next of kin (NOK), the employees, the commuters, the media
and the government agencies – had to be contacted and engaged, and this had to be done concurrently.
As the CEO, DK had to weigh the priorities and address those that needed his presence and personal
attention, and entrust other tasks to be administered by his colleagues. When DK and Ling Wee
reached the OCC, the crisis management team had already been activated. Mr Gerard Koh (Koh),
the Vice President of Human Resource, oversaw the HR affairs and two teams of senior HR staff
were deployed along with two Senior Management to contact the NOK to convey the tragic news
face-to-face. The HR Shared Services team was also alerted to manage the backend administration
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issues that dealt with insurance, hospital administration, etc. An Employee Engagement team in the
Human Resources Department ensured that the information flow within the company was accurate
and appropriate, and consulted closely with the Corporate Communication (Corp Comms)
Department that was handling the information being released to the public. There was a deluge of
queries from the media, and the Passenger Services Department was also dealing with calls on the
hot-line from commuters affected by the incident. The Safety Inspectorate was also at the site to
provide an early assessment of the incident, and support the Police and SCDF. Members of the
CMT were on the ground at the stations addressing commuter concerns and providing situation
updates to the OCC.
Investigation
Once the systems were in place, DK left for the scene of the accident. When he reached the site at
around 12:30pm, the station was still closed to the public, and the bodies had been recovered. The
police and the forensics department were on site and investigations were underway. He left after a
quick survey to ensure that the ground staff at the station was stable.
Back at his office by about 1:20 pm, a post-incident investigation meeting was convened to probe
into pertinent questions on the cause of the accident and the circumstances leading to it. These
included matters such as work protocol, possible lapses in compliance to procedures, authorisation
for the work and the work experience of the lead engineer. By 3:00 pm, when the preliminary internal
investigation meeting concluded, it was evident that there were probable lapses in adhering to safety
procedures.
DK gave instructions on the next courses of action.
Management of Stakeholders
Next of Kin
Notification
The NOK had to be notified by the company before they heard the news from the Police or other
sources such as the media. It was essential to convey the news personally as a matter of respect and
responsibility. Two teams, one led by Mr Michael Chua (Chua), Deputy Director, Industrial
Relations & Employee Engagement, and the other by Mr Alvin Tan (Tan), Deputy Director, HR
Business Partner for Trains, were deployed to engage and support the NOK. A representative from
senior management joined each team to convey the news. Mr Ng Bor Kiat, then Senior Vice
President, Systems & Technology, led Chua’s team to meet the NOK of Asyraf; and Mr Chia Chun
Wah, Vice President for the Circle Line, led Tan to meet Nasrul’s family. As both the deceased
belonged to the Malay Muslim community, they were accompanied by Malay language speaking
colleagues to ensure that there were no communication barriers or cultural insensitivity. Commenting
on the composition of the team, Koh shared,
Though there were staff officers like Michael and Alvin in the team to manage administrative
issues, it was essential to have a person of senior management stature to act as a representative
of the company and break the news to the NOK.
Both teams faced difficult challenges on the ground.
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When Chua’s team reached Asyraf’s house, nobody was home. Chua learnt that Asyraf’s parents
were in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on a pilgrimage. Chua instead found the contact details of Asyraf's
eldest brother who was in Singapore. The National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) was also
activated, and representatives from the Union also joined Chua’s team. Reflecting on the complexity
of the issue, Chua shared:
In the Muslim community, the funeral must take place as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours
of passing. Asyraf's parents, being overseas, had to be flown back quickly. However, when we
reached out to his brother at his home at around 12 pm and broke the news, he requested us not
to break the news of the death to his parents over the phone. Instead, he managed to get them on
the phone and informed them something bad had happened back here, and they had to come back.
However, as it was a busy pilgrimage season, flights were fully booked. Koh and his team secured
the flight tickets after much difficulty and with the help of officers from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Singapore Airlines. They were ushered through expedited lanes at the immigration and
the customs at the airport in Mecca. When the parents landed in Singapore the next day, Chua and
senior officers from SMRT, aided by representatives from the Changi Airport management, met them
at the aerobridge and escorted them through the VIP lounge. Arrangements were made for the parents
to meet the family in private at the lounge before they headed home. Koh recounted,
We felt that bringing them via the public route would attract media attention, so we brought them
out via a quieter route. All throughout, our utmost concern was to protect the family and help
them in their grieving.
As for Tan’s team, when they were checking for the contact details of the NOK of Nasrul, they
discovered that his father and elder brother were also working with SMRT. They learnt that Nasrul’s
father was on the ground performing crowd control duties at Tanah Merah MRT station. Quickly,
instructions were passed through the line of command to direct him to go to the crew room in Tanah
Merah MRT station where there was more privacy. Tan and Chia Chun Wah reached the station at
around 1:00 pm and broke the news to Nasrul’s father. Narrating the anxious moments, Tan said,
As a ground staff involved in crowd control, Nasrul’s father was aware of the accident, and by
the time we met him, he already had an inkling that his son could be involved because he was the
only ground staff to be directed to the Tanah Merah crew room. He was calm when the VP broke
the news, and had one question – why was his son on the tracks? We replied that investigations
were ongoing and we would let him know more as soon as possible.
Tempering Tension
In accordance to Singapore laws, all accidents involving fatalities came under the purview of the
Coroner. Hence, the bodies were kept at the mortuary to support investigations and were not released
until the following afternoon. However, the simmering tension was palpable among the relatives and
friends who had gathered at the homes of the deceased. The frustration of the NOKs turned towards
the teams of Chua and Tan who had stayed on with the NOK to render assistance in the funeral
arrangements and logistics. Tan shared,
The NOK were understandably anxious. As representatives of the company, they turned to us for
more information. They requested for the quicker release of the bodies. But we couldn’t do much
in this matter. Until the coroner had completed the investigation, the mortuary was not going to
release. So, we had to be extremely empathetic and patient in managing them, even though the
process was in the coroner’s and police’s hands.
By late noon that day, the community of friends, relatives and well-wishers of the deceased had
gathered, and the media was there. It was very tricky, and if anyone said anything wrong, the
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situation could get explosive. For instance, if NOK said anything to the media which they did not
mean or if the media or the community instigated something, the matter could get very serious,
even ugly. So we had to ensure that we had people from their community to engage them and
calm them down.
SMRT sought the help of Madam Moliah Hashim, a board member of SMRT and the former CEO
of Yayasan MENDAKI (Council for the Development of Singapore Malay/Muslim Community).
She was a prominent and well-respected person in the Malay Muslim community. She became the
liaison with members of the community, responded to the queries of the family members, and helped
to address the cultural nuances and communal prerogatives. Madam Moliah also accompanied DK
when he met with each of the NOKs at their homes.
Meeting the NOK

The post-incident investigation shed some clarity on the events surrounding the accident. DK and
Ling Wee met the media for a quick door-stop interview that same afternoon of the incident, and met
with the families at their respective homes later that evening. DK spent about 45 minutes with each
family and shared the limited findings that had been uncovered in the preliminary investigations. DK
recounted,
I was naturally anxious about meeting the families, but no matter who was directly accountable
or what caused the accident, as the CEO I was responsible for the lives of those under my charge.
It was my duty to explain to the families personally. The families had many questions about what
had happened, and I shared the facts of the incident as we knew at that point. I also assured them
that a full investigation would be carried out not just to establish the facts but to recommend how
to prevent such incidents in future. Thirdly, I promised that we would keep them updated of
further developments. I assured them that the company would provide full support and assistance
in their bereavement and would be open to answer any queries that they had.
Koh added,
The right person must share the information at the right time. While we had our senior officers
notify the NOK immediately after the accident, the CEO met with the families when we had a
better situation picture and more information to share. As the face of SMRT, the CEO was the
right person to share the details and provide them assurance and support. I, as the VP for HR,
accompanied the CEO to assure the family that the follow-up administrative matters would
receive the attention needed.
Funeral
Nasrul’s house was located in Tampines while Asyraf’s was at Chai Chee Road, around ten
kilometres from each other. The bodies were to be laid to rest at the Muslim Cemetery at Chua Chu
Kang. Chua and Tan coordinated with the undertakers to facilitate the funeral arrangements as well
as with the police and mortuary on the timing for the release of the bodies. Both of them were
supported by the Shared Services unit within the HR Department to provide full logistical support,
such as chairs, water bottles and buses to transport the mourners to the burial site. Koh said,
My staff went ahead to provide the families with all that they needed for the funeral, there was
no need to wait for administrative approvals that would take time. We took care of all the
expenses; it was the least we could do. The welfare of the families was top on our minds.
SMRT also published an obituary in the national Malay daily, Berita Harian, with the help of Madam
Moliah who helped to word the obituary correctly and sensitively in Malay. Koh explained,
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It is easy to lose your bearings in crisis, so it is essential to be acutely aware of how your actions
and words are portrayed and perceived. What you say or do at times of crises can inflame matters
if wrongly interpreted by the bereaved family and the public; in this case in Malay, which my
team are not natural speakers of. Also, what the media, community and the company staff say
could influence or adversely affect the family. Seeking expert opinion and extra help, as we did
from Madam Moliah, would ensure that messages are correctly expressed and rightly perceived
in the language of the family and the Malay community. Cultural sensitivity is very important in
our multi-racial country.
As both families had agreed to bury the deceased beside each other, the funeral prayer at the cemetery
was jointly held. DK and other members of the Trains Management attended the funeral and
remained with the grieving families until the bodies were laid to rest.
Employees
The Care Team of the CMT attended to the health and comfort of the rest of the work party that were
involved in the accident. Though there were no other physical injuries, some needed psychological
counselling and others were sent to the hospital for a review. The rest of the workers who did not
need counselling or medical attention were allowed to take leave from work.
Soon after the accident, rumours and misinformation emerged. Pictures from the scene of the accident
started circulating among the staff. The Employee Engagement (EE) team in the Human Resources
(HR) Department worked with the Corp Comms Department quickly and by 12:30 pm, a reminder
was sent to employees to exercise caution and consideration in their exchange of information and to
refrain from spreading unverified information and circulating insensitive pictures from the accident
scene. They were also reminded to be considerate towards the other members of the work party
involved in the accident. The note assured that investigations were underway and findings would be
promptly shared. Commenting on the situation, DK noted,
Rumours, distorted information and insensitive comments and exchanges could spread further
chaos and anxiety among staff. My concern was not just to prevent such insensitive discussions
in order to protect the well-being of the rest of the work party and the father of the deceased who
was working with us, but also to uphold the safety of operations. Things could go wrong when
staff are in a state of shock and anxiety, and as commuter service must go on, we needed to remind
all our staff that safety is paramount.
Besides the note of caution, it was essential to address the anxious employees. There was no way to
bring everyone together in a hall, as SMRT’s workers are distributed across the country. DK sent
a short statement to all the staff that afternoon at around 3:30pm before he met with the media (please
refer to Exhibit 2 for the note). The following day, he sent another, more personal note to his staff
(refer Exhibit 3 for the note). DK recalled,
It was not easy to draft that note. Though short, it had to reflect the gravity of the situation. By
then, we knew that the accident was caused by lapses in compliance with safety procedures.
Besides expressing condolences and sharing in the grief over the loss of two of our own, the note
also needed to signify the need and seriousness of safety compliance. And I had to encourage our
people to keep their chin up, stand tall and be strong to continue our service to commuters despite
the tragedy that had taken place in the company.
This was not the only note he was to send. The day after the funeral, DK also felt the need to connect
at a personal level with his staff (refer to Exhibit 4 for the note). The note reiterated the importance
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of safety compliance and underscored the need to learn the lessons from the tragedy so that the lives
lost would not be in vain. DK recalled,
After having laid them to rest and seeing the distraught families, I was determined more than
ever to reinforce safety as a core value. The S in the SMRTnI (Service Excellence, Mastery,
Respect & Responsibility, Teamwork, Nurture, Integrity) was amended to stand for Safety &
Service Excellence.
Media
The media had to be briefed on the accident. As the accident happened in an open viaduct, the public
could see what was happening at the scene of the accident. Photos taken from the nearby high-rise
buildings had started circulating in the social media within minutes after the accident. The public had
to be kept updated through the media. The Corporate Communications department released a series
of operational updates on the incident. The SMRT Facebook page and corporate website was
changed to monochrome to reflect that the company was in mourning.
That evening, at around 5:00 pm, after the preliminary post-incident investigations and briefings to
the board and government agencies, DK and Ling Wee met with members of the media in a door-
stop conference at the corporate headquarters. After a short statement by DK, they fielded questions
from the media (refer to Exhibit 5 for the transcript of the media conference). Recounting on the
media engagement, DK commented,
We had just completed the preliminary investigations, and these findings needed to be subjected
to formal investigations and possibly court hearings. During the press meet, I could only give
fact-based answers. I had to be mindful that what I said should not pin blame on anyone. It must
not prejudice the ongoing police investigations and eventual court hearings to come.
The Corporate Communications department issued a press release by the next day with a detailed
account of the events leading to the incident (refer to Exhibit 6 for the Media Release).
Commuters
When the accident happened, there were 35 passengers on board the train, and they were asked to
disembark halfway on the track and walk to the Pasir Ris Station, which was a terminal station in the
network. The immediate announcement made via the Public Address System informed that the train
service was stopped and instructed the passengers waiting on the platform to leave the station to take
the bus bridging service that had been set up as alternative transport. At 11:20 am SMRT tweeted
about the accident confirming that an incident had happened on the track. Regular service resumed
at 2:00 pm and commuters were advised to expect ten minutes of additional travelling time due to
imposed speed restrictions at the site (refer to Exhibit 7 for the tweets from SMRT). An estimated
15,000 commuters were affected by the service disruption. SMRT staff were deployed at the
entrance/exit of the affected stations to inform commuters of the service disruption and to guide them
to nearby bus stops. Tickets for complimentary train rides were handed out to affected passengers.
Shuttle services were made available to cover the stations along the affected section of the network.
Regular bus service during the service disruption period was also provided free of charge. 11 Though
the commuters were initially dismayed and frustrated, most of them became sympathetic after they
11
Li Min Kok, “2 SMRT Staff Killed in Accident Were Singaporeans Aged 24 and 26 and Undergoing On-the-Jjob Training”, The Straits
Times, 23 March 2016, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/2-smrt-staff-killed-in-accident-were-singaporeans-aged-24-and-
26-and-undergoing, accessed May 2018.
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learnt about the tragedy. However, when it gradually emerged that it involved safety breaches, public
opinion turned disparaging.
The Regulator, Government, Allied Agencies and the Board
The immediate concerns of the LTA and the Ministry of Transport after the accident was the safety
of the network, because it was not clear if human error or any systemic issue had caused the accident.
The Safety and Inspectorate department promptly clarified on the issue. DK updated the Ministry,
the LTA and the SMRT board on the findings from the investigations.
The Aftermath
Restoring Confidence
The day after the accident, DK called for a meeting of all Department heads in SMRT Trains and
shared the findings of the internal investigations. He urged them to review their internal work
processes and systems, and explain the facts surrounding the incident to their subordinates to prevent
speculation and rumours. He used the occasion to also emphasize the criticality of strict compliance
with safety procedures. DK said,
I had to adopt a different persona for a different context and audience. With family and colleagues
affected, I shared their grief. But with my own management and staff, knowing now that the
incident was caused by violation of safety procedures, I needed to be firm and strict about
discipline and work standards – in order to kick staff out of their complacency, and deal with the
offenders disciplinarily.
Review of Procedures
During the week following the accident, the Safety Inspectorate unit that was responsible for the
enforcement and education of safety organised a campaign to promote safety culture in the workplace.
The workers across all departments observed a mandatory time-out session during which they
stopped work to review the safety of processes and systems in their workplace, studied the work
instructions to ensure that there was clarity on what was right and who was responsible for what, and
what their actual ground practice was. They also undertook a commitment to follow safety protocols
at all times. DK recalled,
It was a company-wide review process and not localised to the two divisions that were directly
involved in the incident. We wanted to ensure that a similar incident would never be repeated.
We formed a board-level safety committee that included international and peer industry experts,
as well as senior managers with an engineering background to review our entire system. It took
over three months to complete the review.
Follow-up and Update for NOK
Tan and Chua continued to keep in touch with the families in the subsequent days after the accident
to provide the necessary support needed to complete the religious rituals and mourning. They had
become familiar and trusted faces to the families by then and remained in touch with the families to
see to their needs. Nazrul’s brother and Asyraf’s uncle became the main point of contact for
coordination with the families during that period. Chua commented,
10/27
to Mar 2022.
It is better to find a key person in the family other than the immediate NOK, to discuss and
coordinate matters. This person would likely be more composed, receptive and able to
communicate than the distraught family members who could find it deeply distressing to discuss
such issues. Hence, whenever there was a request from one of the families, Alvin and I would
immediately check with each other if the other family had asked or would need the same, and
even if they did not ask for it, we would offer it. For example, Asyraf’s parents visited the grave
every day for a week after the burial and had asked for a car for the commute. We offered to
arrange for transport for Nasrul’s parents as well. We thus ensured that both families were
supported equally during their mourning.
A week later, when there were substantive findings regarding the incident, DK, accompanied by Ling
Wee and Koh, again visited the families in their homes. He shared the findings with the families and
assured the families that besides a thorough investigation into the incident, a comprehensive review
of the safety procedures was underway. A few days later, DK and his team met with the families
again about the possible recourse for the families – and the compensations that the company would
be offering. Koh recalled,
In all our meetings with the families, DK was the mainstay. Though we would accompany him,
DK, as the face of SMRT and person of authority, would share the critical information and offer
explanations. This was essential to ensure consistency, clarity, and also to reflect credibility, and
empathy since it came from a person of authority and responsibility.
Reproach and Relief

The assistant engineer and the train driver were suspended until the internal investigations were
completed. As a staff welfare provision, the company provided the required medical attention they
needed and offered them legal help.
For staff in the work party involved in the incident, those who had post-traumatic inhibitions over
going back to work on the tracks were redeployed to non-track work, while the others were given
medical leave until they could resume work on the tracks.
Getting Back on Track
Recovery and Resolve
In the subsequent months, DK spent much of his time on the ground, meeting people across the
company, from managers to the rank-and-file workers. He met them in small groups so that the
workers would feel comfortable to interact, as well as to ensure that everyone had sufficient time and
opportunity to raise their queries. Meeting the workers on the ground provided them with an
opportunity to have things clarified directly with the CEO. Just as importantly, it allowed DK an
opportunity to hear the concerns of the staff first hand. DK recalled,
Writing a mail helps you to reach everyone uniformly and quickly, but we cannot be sure if the
message was clearly understood. So, meeting directly with staff in small groups, while very time-
consuming given the size of the organisation, was important to ensure that my emphasis was well
understood.
The employees went through different phases of emotions over time - from a state of shock on the
day of the incident to mourning in the days that followed the accident. Later in the weeks that
followed, there was blaming across departments, and fear and anxiety set in. The exercise of
reviewing process and system safety, and the act of renewing their commitment to comply with safety
11/27
to Mar 2022.
protocols, helped to spur the staff into action. Instead of being resigned to a passive mourning state
after the crisis, they were brought together to learn, change and resolve to inculcate safety as a core
value. The slogan ‘Never Again’ was framed to reflect and remind all staff of their commitment to
safety. The organisation gradually regained its resilience and resolve. DK reflected,
I had to transform the sorrow to resolve. Our staff were in a state of shock and grief – and I
needed to allow ourselves that time to grieve. But as their leader, I also needed to quickly harness
that energy to catalyse a desire to change and do better. SMRT as an organisation has an organic
resilience that builds solidarity and determination amongst the staff to keep going in the face of,
and despite, recurring adversities.
Internal Investigation and Action
Within a week, an Accident Review Panel was formed to conduct a detailed investigation of the
incident. The panel comprised members of the SMRT Board Risk Committee and independent
experts from Keppel Corporation, Transport for London (which operated the London Underground),
and a former staff member of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation. It reviewed the
findings of the internal investigations and concluded that although the safety systems and rules were
there, critical safety procedures were not followed. The panel also made recommendations to enhance
existing procedures. The Corporate Communications department issued a media release, on 24 April
2016, announcing the completion of the investigations by the panel. SMRT submitted the reports of
the findings to the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Police Force and Land Transport Authority
(refer to Exhibit 8 for the Media Release).
After a thorough internal investigation, on 13 September 2016, SMRT dismissed both the assistant
engineer who led the team on the track and the train driver involved at the scene of the accident.
Unexpectedly, the dismissal was widely criticised online. 12 The NTWU, which had earlier written
to the SMRT requesting to withhold any action against the two workers until the police investigations
were completed, appealed to the SMRT on the dismissal. The NTWU appealed to the Ministry of
Manpower as well. Some in SMRT also questioned the decision to sack the two staff, and wondered
why this could not wait until after the civil court hearing and judgement. Questions were also raised
in parliament by opposition members. The Minister for Manpower, in his written reply, assured that
the ministry would try to amicably settle the dispute through conciliation and promised to conduct
an inquiry in the event of failure. 13 Commenting on the scenario, DK said,
The two who were dismissed were among several who were disciplined, including managers and
supervisors. But these two were found liable for their breaches in safety, which we took a very
serious view of. The precedent for dismissals was already set in past cases when safety was
breached, even when no injury was caused. In this instance, their case was reviewed in detail by
independent members who were not their direct bosses so that there could be a more objective
view. We could not wait so long for the court hearing which was not yet scheduled. The train
captain had failed to honk the horn on seeing people in the vicinity of the track - a failure to
follow the standard procedure, and the assistant engineer had failed to seek authorisation before
accessing the track - again, a breach of safety procedure. The sacking was over their non-
12
“SMRT Getting Flak Online Over Sacking 2 Employees Involved in the Fatal Train Track Accident”, Today Online, 14 September
2016, https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/smrt-getting-flak-online-over-sacking-2-employees-involved-fatal-train-track-accident,
accessed May 2018.
13
Employment Practices, Written Answer by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Manpower, to Parliamentary Question on grounds for
dismissal of SMRT employees for 22 March fatal train incident, Minstry of Manpower, 10 October 2016,
http://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/parliament-questions-and-replies/2016/1010-written-answer-by-mr-lim-swee-say-pq-on--grounds-
for-dismissal-of-smrt-employees-for-22-march-fatal-train-incident, accessed May 2018.
12/27
to Mar 2022.
compliance with safety protocol. Whether or not these non-compliance actions would have
resulted in the accident was not the relevant consideration; on their own the safety breaches were
severe enough to have warranted a dismissal. Hence, we decided we had to act swiftly and fairly,
and not wait for the coroner’s inquiry which would take many months, if not more than a year.
This was also necessary as we had to be firm in future cases of safety breaches, and be consistent
with how we dealt with this case.
Since he took the helm in October 2012, SMRT had faced one crisis after another. In the preceding
year, there had been three major crises: a power fault on July 7 that affected North-South and East-
West lines which impact about 400, 000 commuters; a disruption of train services on October 26 that
impacted about 41,000 commuters; on December 29, a service disruption between Boon Lay and
Clementi stations for two days in a row. The organization needed an uplifting of spirits. DK had been
striving to restore stability and revive the organisation’s morale and resilience, but in the face of
further mounting pressure and criticism over the sacking of the two employees, how should he
respond – should he relent or should he uphold the decision? Would the public noise and criticism
degrade the employee morale that he had conscientiously revived? What further actions must he take
to fortify the resilience and solidarity of his staff?
13/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 1: SINGAPORE MRT NETWORK
Source: The Land Transport Authority, Singapore.
14/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 2: STATEMENT FROM SMRT PRESIDENT AND GROUP CEO ON 22 MARCH 2016
It is with deep sadness that two SMRT staff, Nasrulhudin Bin Najumudin and Muhammad
Asyraf Bin Ahmad Buhari, passed away today.
At around 11am on 22 March, a signalling condition monitoring device near Pasir Ris Station
was triggered, and maintenance teams from the Permanent Way and Signal departments were
sent to investigate. The teams moved in a single file along the walkway beside the track to the
investigation location. Unfortunately, during the process, the accident occurred.
The safety of our people has always been the utmost priority and we are assisting the Police in
their investigations into how the accident happened.
SMRT conveys our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. We are in touch with
the families and will be supporting them through this difficult time.
- Desmond Kuek
SMRT President and Group CEO
Source: SMRT Corporation
15/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 3: DK’S NOTE TO THE STAFF
16/27
to Mar 2022.
17/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 4: DK’S THIRD NOTE TO STAFF
18/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 5: TRANSCRIPT: MEDIA CONFERENCE SMRT CEO AND MD TRAINS
19/27
to Mar 2022.
20/27
to Mar 2022.
21/27
to Mar 2022.
22/27
to Mar 2022.
23/27
to Mar 2022.
24/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 6: UPDATE ON FATAL ACCIDENT ALONG EAST-WEST LINE NEAR PASIR RIS MRT
STATION ON 22 MARCH 2016
25/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 7: SMRT TWEETS ON 22 MARCH 2016
26/27
to Mar 2022.
EXHIBIT 8: UPDATE ON INVESTIGATION INTO FATAL ACCIDENT
27/27
to Mar 2022.

SMRT - Internal Crisis Leadership

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SMRT - Internal Crisis Leadership

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SMRT: INTERNAL CRISIS LEADERSHIP

Copyright © 2018, Singapore Management University Version: 2018-07-03

Steering Through the Crosswinds

It is people who underpin operational reliability, service excellence, workforce relations,

Recalling the phone call then, DK said,

DK gave instructions on the next courses of action.

Both teams faced difficult challenges on the ground.

Meeting the NOK

The Regulator, Government, Allied Agencies and the Board

Follow-up and Update for NOK

Reproach and Relief

Getting Back on Track

Recovery and Resolve

Internal Investigation and Action

EXHIBIT 1: SINGAPORE MRT NETWORK

Source: The Land Transport Authority, Singapore.

EXHIBIT 3: DK’S NOTE TO THE STAFF

Source: SMRT Corporation

EXHIBIT 4: DK’S THIRD NOTE TO STAFF

Source: SMRT Corporation

EXHIBIT 5: TRANSCRIPT: MEDIA CONFERENCE SMRT CEO AND MD TRAINS

Source: SMRT Corporation

Source: SMRT Corporation

EXHIBIT 7: SMRT TWEETS ON 22 MARCH 2016

Source: SMRT Corporation

EXHIBIT 8: UPDATE ON INVESTIGATION INTO FATAL ACCIDENT

Source: SMRT Corporation

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