Who should accept responsibility for the security lapse at SMRT Depot?
June 17th, 2010 | 
Author: OPINION
The American author Napolean Hill once wrote:
“Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together.”
He will be flabbergasted to know that they are pretty common circumstances in Singapore where political leaders and top honchos of public-listed companies take home astronomical pay without the accompanying responsibility.
The recent security lapse at a SMRT depot which shocked the entire nation is one classic example.
On May 17, two foreigners – a Swiss and a Briton allegedly slipped undetected into a SMRT depot at Changi and sprayed graffiti on the carriage of a train.
The vandalized train was allowed to continue in service for two days with the graffit in full view of the commuters, one of whom took a video recording of it and uploaded to Youtube.
A police report was lodged only two days later by SMRT which later explained that its staff “mistook” the graffiti for advertisements followed by a week of silence.
In other countries, the head of the train company would have called a press conference and offered a public apology before resigning in shame, but not so in Singapore.
For days, SMRT dithered over its public response while the government, afraid of triggering unhappy memories of its own security lapse two years ago with the escape of famed terrorist Mas Selamat Kasteri chose to keep a distance from the fallout.
Nobody seemed to realize the gravity of the security breach until one Singaporean wrote in to the Straits Times Forum questioning what the outcome might be had the vandals been terrorists instead.
An information vacuum ensues as all parties – the government, SMRT, media and public continue to figure who should take responsibility for the lapse.
The Ministry of Transport is the first to absolve itself of any responsibility with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) issuing an official statement that while it owns the SMRT depots, the management of its security lies with SMRT.
This is followed a few days later by the Ministry of Home Affairs which passed the buck to businesses for assumming individual “responsibility” for overseeing the security at its premises.
SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa finally expressed her “regrets” over the security lapse, but stopped short of a public apology.
So who is ultimately responsible for security at the SMRT depots?
While the bulk of the blame lies with SMRT for being complacent, the two ministries are implicated as well.
In April 2004, the government established the Public Transport Security Committee (PTSC), made up of four working groups—protective security; information technology; crisis consequence management; and public vigilance and education—to identify weaknesses and gaps in the security system and implement solutions.
Security measures implemented include hardening measures, such as: extra fencing at pedestrian overhead bridges along MRT tracks; the deployment of transit security officers (TSOs) at MRT stations and bus interchanges to patrol and conduct bag searches; thedeployment of police MRT units (PMUs) to complement the TSOs; raising commuter vigilance and security awareness; and security exercises to test inter-agency response to multiple attacks.
Obviously the government is heavily involved in the planning, coordinating and management of public transport security. A workshop was organized in 2007 to “deliberate on security issues that pertain to Singapore’s land transport sector and to explore viable technological solutions to the threats faced.”
The ease at which the security at the SMRT depot was breached made a mockery out of the security measures which the PTSC apparently put in place to ensure the security of our public transport system.
A gaping hole was left in the barbed fence around the depot and completely undetected for two full days, thereby allowing ample time for one of the culprits to make his escape from Singapore.
Who is the overall in charge of security at SMRT depot? Are the Standard Operating Guidelines being followed? Are TSOs being deployed at the SMRT depots as well? How did the breach occur without sounding the alarm? Is there anybody keeping watch on the CCTVs at all?
These are the questions which the government officials and SMRT personnel have to ponder hard over behind closed doors away from the prying eyes of the media and public.
The lack of leadership displayed in the handling of this fiasco raises further questions on whether Singapore’s security apparatus is ready to deal with a much more serious threat posed by global terrorism.
The situation resembled the aftermath of the 2008 attacks on Mumbai where mayhem broke loose with the police, army, security personnel and journalists getting in one another’s way in the field.
One of the hallmarks of leadership is the willingness to accept responsibility for mistakes made. Judging from the “tai-chi” being played out by various parties last week, it is apparent that no organization is keen to step forward to accept ownership of the fallout.
It is a shame that the immediate response of the government is evade responsibility and keep a distance away from the saga, leaving SMRT alone to clear up the mess.
When one is not ready to accept heavy responsibility on one’s shoulders, one should not be demanding out of the world salaries to perform their duties.
The SMRT fiasco epitomizes the “honest mistake” mentality ingrained in Singapore culture where highly paid leaders can expect to get away with almost any mistake without having to pay a price for it.
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Posted in Opinion
I dont know what you guys think about Chee Soon Juan but he has posted a video on the SDP website asking Wong Kan Seng to take responsibility.
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I read with great amusement the type of hounding done by small time individual, where they keep repeating their unsustainable pursuit of a hopeless case.
Who should accept responsibility for the security lapse at SMRT Depot?
Why don’t you tell us who should be responsible.
First and foremost, responsibility is only accorded to those who have suffered tangible loses of material or bodily harm namely the victim. In this case SMRT is the victim of the vandalism. Hence it is a matter of internal affair where the public should have no right to interfere.
The police and the law enforcer have duly pursue the offender and lets leave justice to run its course.
In the aftermath of 9/11, the great power of the world, America, had suffered the worst nightmare in term of security breach. George W Bush was then the president, did the American asked him to step down? Was he asked to take responsibility of the security lapse. The answer was very clear, you pursue the perpetrator and not your own people or leader.
The question of who should accept responsibility for the SMRT depot’s security lapse is not important but rather what constructive ideas do we have to contribute to prevent the recurrence being more respectable.
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SilenceIsGolden:
June 17, 2010 at 1:36 am
May I ask you then,why are the bosses firing workers for very insignificant errors or ‘OVER-SIGHT”?
Your attempt to plead not guilty for the RICH AND POWERFUL is indeed nothing short of great hypocrisy.
Go on,continue to spill ‘GOLDEN’ nonsense for the advantaged as though they need a clown like you to stand up for them?
If you are any good,STAND UP for the disadvantaged;that way,you will surely win our respect.
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Would it WongKanSeng’s business if the Graffiti read “BOMB”?
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I totally agree with you SIG! The public should play its part by giving the MIW the pay raise they wanted in order to do better…
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All the recent fiascos point to one thing-karmic effect taking place here in singapore.
The PAP keeps hyping and puffing on the FTs telling us repeatedly how good these jokers are ann forcing tom dick and harry singaoreans doing all kinds of work from Shenton Way to Changi to surrender our jobs to these aliens.
But look,now they are trying to ‘MAN-HUNT’ this foreign-talented ang-moh for the beautiful piece of art he bestow on the govt for showing favouritism to them.How ironical?
Now ,so many singaporean oldies and kids are crying out of hunger and thirst and the heavens sent floods to the rich areas like bukit timah and ORCHARD…now,the HERMES and ROLLS ROYCE get muddied,how strange?
Don’t play play…don’t think the poor ordinary citizens can be bullied and suka-suka replace them with under-cutting cheap foreigners.
The HEAVENS are watching and will take further actions as deem fit.
This is just a mere warning to the self-serving RICH MIWs and all other filthy Rich who cheat the poor so as to get even more filthy richer.
BEWARE,all crooks,the poor have their guardian angels.
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@karmic effect
fully agreed wit u
that white ang moh may ask some advice from tat Dr. diplomat how to have a good time for watching world cup .. hahaha
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Obviously Singpost is ultimately responsible for this.
If they hadn’t done that ‘viral spray painting’ a while back, these poor SMRT staff would have immediately recognised the graffiti on the trains and made a report.
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Actually, instead of telling shitisdelicious aka silenceisgolden to shut up, we should encourage him to post more often. It is very clear by now that he is a miw propagandist, so all the shit he posts here is actually an accurate and precise reflection of whatever the miws are really thinking. So the more shit he posts here, the more reasons we have to vote the miws out of office.
As for why he can post nothing but shit, just remember: you are what you eat. So it should come as no surprise that a guy who eats nothing but miw shit should spew nothing else but shit out.
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Don’t be naive, nobody is responsible here….it’s an incident that will cause & help the authorities to do a better job and prevent a recurrence.
Arguing and blaming gets nowhere….
Insurance companies should pay for the commercial & personal properties’ damages. The rest of the losses, eat yourself out.
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Sorry, I was refering to the floods…not in this SMRT context
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NEW SCHEME OUT SOON.
ADULT COMMUTERS MUST DO MINIMUM HOURS OF SECURITY DUTY AT SMRT TRAIN DEPOT OR NO TRAIN RIDE.
THE DUTY DONE WILL BE LOGGED INTO THE EZ LINK CARD.
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see postings at below TODAYonline forum thread.
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100612-0000081/Are-our-tourist-sites-wheelchair-friendly?
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They shamelessly label themselves as world class to justify their ludicrous pay. When boo boos happen, they shamelessly say it is not their job. What are they paid for?
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more links
http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?s=b453e0a132f60284f2fb12cb93d61e90&t=30429
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?p=45937208&posted=1#post45937208
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Personally I think this is the responsibility of the SMRT management and security. They have to take all necessary actions to ensure the safety of the passengers. Since there is such an unacceptable lapse in security, the person in charge of security should be punished.
The Govt should of course take responsibility to ensure that with the huge influx of FTs, there should be sufficient education of our laws and also exemplary enforcement of those laws to prevent repeats from these new comers to our land.
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Makes me wonder, if a “”singapore born”", I mean SINGAPORE BORN SINGAPORE CITIZEN, aka a second class citizen did this, would not the ISD, not just the police jumped in too and given him the maximum of the possible maximum? Nobody would even be talking about it anywhere, not even TR.
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This proves the point that when you attract people using money to join PAP, you do not necessarily get the right kind of people who really want to serve the people.
We do have people who would join politics regardless of how much they will be paid (ie like Chiam and Low) and these are exactly the same people who knows what wrong with PAP and how it is ruining the country which is why 99.9% of them remains committed as oppositions to at least point things out given their very small numbers in parliment. How do PAP members manage the concerns of these truly patriotic opposition members? They all turn into deaf frogs with patronising answers without addressing the issues at heart while wasting time in parliment at taxpayers expense! Parliment sessions these days are nothing more than just a front for a dictatorship to run the country to maintain the perception that SG is a democratic country.
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In pap control gov in sg. NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE LAH.
wat’s the big deal, i will ask , only security lapse.
The more important issue is, taxpayers money is not check and accountable. AND BILLIONS IS LOSS……. HOPEFULLY SOME IS NOT GONE INTO THE WRONG HANDS. Is anyone responsible for the loss. NO. In fact, the CEO is still CEO. And sg is still complaining. And the sun still raises from the east. DAFT
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We should stop this blame nonsense.
We should thank our luck that the Swiss and British intruders came with only paints and not terrorists with bombs. I hope that would-be-terrorists do not take a leaf from this incident.
THE PRIMARY LAPSE had been committed by the national security agencies and the Police. They are employed to guard and secure our installations and services. Don’t we have a Co-Ordinating Minister for National Security???
THE SECONDARY LAPSE was committed by SMRT. CEO Saw Phaik Hwa should remove the SMRT Security Head and the Station Manager.
Minister Wong Kan Seng and CEO Saw Phaik Hwa said that Singaporeans must play also their part. Do they want Singaporeans to ring-fence the MRT stations, airports and port areas and other installation 24- a-hours a day? I am abhorred when people of responsibility utter non-sense.
Singaporeans must remove Minister Wong Kan Seng and Prof. Jayakumar, Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security. They both failed in their primary function. VOTE THEM OUT.
SilenceIsGolden: June 17, 2010 at 1:36 am
“The question of who should accept responsibility for the SMRT depot’s security lapse is not important..”
What crap are you talking??? If the Ministers are serious about this security lapse, they should hold a Board of Inquiry to find out who is responsible and remove the primary culprits.
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SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa ate the flesh,commuters chewed the bone.
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MHA’s spokesman was quoted as saying in the Straits Times.
Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement through the media urging businesses to take “ownership” of the security of their premises.
“Businesses need to take a long- term view and see security costs as part and parcel of their commercial enterprises. Private sector premise owners must take proactive ownership of security in their respective domains, remaining vigilant and cultivating a security mindset. Safety and security are prerequisites of success, not products of it,”
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@Serious Thots:
June 17, 2010 at 11:20 am
I agree with you wholeheartly.
But do you think pap gov give a damn. The way they put the answer across say a lot. You can complain and write till the cows come home. They don’t care. If anyone can proof me wrong. ABC loss 400 over millions do we knw who is responsible. Town council loss millions who is responsible.
If sg wants people with responsibility to gov. Then make the right choice , if not, sad to say, just shut up.
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Serious Thots:
June 17, 2010 at 11:20 am
Most of what you mentioned,I agree.
BUT your suggestion to remove the Security Head and Station Manager by the CEO is merely giving this HIGHLY PAID finger-pointing arrogant woman a chance to find scape-goats.
NO,the CEO must also be REMOVED.
Look at the japs ministers and top executives,they gentlemanly or gentlewomanly take the blame.
Whoever holds GREAT AUTHORITHY and GETS THE BIG FAT SALARIES AND GLORY must also BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY.
Let’s not allow all these people such as MIWs and rich arse-holes CEOs types to constantly find scape-goats for all the blames and merely take the credits or else they would continue to think that the citizens are daft and treat us as such.
TIME to PIN DOWN the errant characters and no more FINGER-POINTING from them.
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Low pay and great responsibility can be found together.
eg. the north korean goalscorer against brazil only earned a pittance of 34 dollars a year, yet his relentless running and fighting spirit lifted his country’s status in footballing world.
not forgetting the tears from the North korean striker when singing the national anthem, even though he lives in japan and plays at J-league.
PAP govt should learn from these 2 humble guys
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We should not find scapegoats, it’s totally unhelpful.
Instead, we should wallop the angmo a few times as deterrent. We should do this more frequently because people already forgot last time we wallop Michael Fay.
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Few weeks ago, MHA sent Officers to Indonesia to INVESTIGATE “TERRORISTS” LOOKING AT SMRT MAPS, NOW THEY SAY SMRT SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY????
SO DID THE OFFICERS GO THERE FOR HOLIDAYS ON TAX PAYERS MONEY?
Why was the PURPOSE FOR GOING THERE TO INVESTIGATE THEN? LOOK SEE, COME HOME?
SO MUCH TALK ABOUT SMRT BEING A TARGET AND YET SECURITY IS SMRT BUSINESS ALONE????
MHA FOOLS. WongKanSeng ought to be FIRED.
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Aiyoh! These are exactly the slogans of “Uiquely Singapore” and “Your Singapore” that the despicable million-dollar miw are promoting relentlessly to the world, world-class obscene pay-packages for the contemptible LKY, GCT, LHL and their cronies but mediocre performances and “zero” responsibility!
I can assure you nothing will happen and lives still go on for them as usual with million-dollar remunerations and possibly another “fat” increment as the economy is “forecasted” to have 9% expansion this year!
Why are you so serious? Happy go luck lah!
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Safe to fail
Sg citizen have been in wonderland lah.. you mind your business , i mind mine. .. either they are clueless of what will happen or they do not bother to know what going to happen.
Sadly, when it happen , pllllllllllease do regret. cos pap gov do not responsible for any lapse. Be it security or billions loss. So, it’s up the the people to be responsible. Make the right choice who you vote.
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This re-qoute seems applicable…seems PAP likes to differentiate who do what and why….and truely show how un-wise they really are this past 20 or so odd years…
“The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.” by Thucydides a Greek historian.
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All these stem from the fact that they are grossly overpaid and thus consider themselves too important to be concerned with such trivials as security, or a hole in the fence.
They are responsible for the strip of land under their tracks and yet when I wrote to highlight to them that a certain strip is becoming a rubbish dump and an eyesore to all, they did not even acknowledge, let alone did anything about it. These ‘petty matters” are too unimportant for such highly paid, high flyers to be concerned about
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Head of SMRT’s head has to “roll” first, of course!
But like what Napolean hill said – yet to see one happen here in Singapore!
Side track a bit, in soccer:
When the team din perform well , the coach kana “sacked”!
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SMRT…an organization that needs to be revamped! I have noticed the laxed running of the organization everytime I go to the station. Take for instance, employees with long hair covering their collars, having “goatees” sporting moustache, wardens walking from one end to another and yet fails to notice passengers drinking in the trains, also using their handphones while manning the circle lines…these are just a few of poor attitudes displayed and the reason could be morale!
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Hey come on guys, let’s be objective here. Everyone is saying that the miws and their elite scholars like rainbowhead saw demand first class pay for third class performance. All of you have got it all wrong. The miws and their elite scholars are first class just like they claim: they’re first class at screwing up, committing embarassing blunders and debacles and at evading responsibility.
Hey, nobody ever said that they should be first class at being capable, rsponsible and efficient, right?
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the real problem is the people.
IF only the people had demanded high standard of security from these thingies, the loophole would have been covered long ago.
People should be Pro-Active and not Reactive.
If react only based on hindsight, anyone can be a leader.
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Hmmn, the grafitti look nice, for a change we have been to square, once a while we should have something different, maybe
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@joker:
June 17, 2010 at 11:02 pm
the real problem is the people.
Yes, the reall problem is the people , because they brainwash , to believe that pap gov is the best. Not knowing that you have a choice to vote to change. You vote mp in to do something right. So, if you not happy with them or if you are suffering cos loss of jobs and can’t put food on the table. The gov shld be held accountable for the billions loss, which can be put in fund to support the needy ,, well that is at least I will do with the billions.
Do we even know where are the billions? So, it’s the people who put them there is the problem. So,,Change with helps.
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I got a plan, Do anyone care to join me. Tonight we go down to one of the depot and do our walk. Remember we as the citizen have to do our part right?
If your go to the shopping centre toilet make sure u check the person who use the toilet before u go in, check for any pen or marker cause later the management of the shopping centre will blame for not looking after their toilet…..
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Its yet another honest mistake !There’s no need for a witch hunt!Lets move On AGAIN !
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given that so much time has past, enough for people to understand or know about the FIASCOs or BOO BOO or FAILURE or LAPSE or whatever u may call it, i am sure the people have ACCEPTed once again that there is no need for heads to roll.
Lets move on. In the digital age. Lets also brace ourselves as we head into the future.
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A security lapse had been bridge and minister Wong Can’t Sing is away for a week at tax payers’s expenses looking @ development in China.
What in Heaven’s name is this man doing in China looking @ development projects when he should be looking into ways to improve our security.
This minister is a PURE WASTE of public funds.
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they should screen the ‘A-L-E-R-T’ security video in their own depot or offices besides screening them at train stations for the commuters.
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Local borned and bred Singaporeans citizens always lose out when the government is not for them.
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Is SMRT a gov-related company?
If it is, what does it mean by that?
Is it that there is gov people in the top most senior management team?
If so, who reads the Audit Reports?
Is it a must that all senior management is responsible for the Security of its premises or infrastructure? If not does it mean the non management team is responsible for Security? Eg. if the whole building is destroyed? just non management team responsible?
As i live in a well, i only have questions. no answers.
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Someone has to take responsibility of the security lapse but definitely not from anyone in PAP government, who is faultless in everything that they do e.g. the escape of Mas Selemat was due to the complacent citizen!
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@SilenceIsGolden please get your facts correct. Most people are not aware that 9/11 attacks managed to happen because the US authorities such as the CIA and FBI actually received warnings about a possible terror attack prior to 9/11 but they failed to act. This lapse by the authorities eventually caused 2995 people including the hijackers to be dead from the attacks. So should they people who were responsible for this lapse be allowed to stay in their positions in the CIA, FBI and Bush administration so that more innocent people can die due to more security lapses?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_advance-knowledge_debate
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@john –
It is common to be maligned by people this and that but you have gone a step further by adding salt and pepper. Where on earth did I say this ….”Most people are not aware that 9/11 attacks managed to happen … blah blah blah…” This is only your own invented words to talk about a totally unrelated thing altogether. Haiz…. You simply quote those thing which I do not say out from nowhere…
Moreover you extract info without really reading them at all… The wikipedia itself is saying that the fore knowledge of a terrorist attack is an “assumptions and hypotheses”.
Extract from wiki that you have provided..
Wonder who should be the one to get the fact correct?????
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@SilenceIsGolden,like I stated earlier, please get your facts correct. The 9/11 Commission Report is an OFFICIAL report released by the American government with regards to the 9/11 attacks . The report stated that failures at the CIA and FBI was to be partly blamed for the 9/11 attacks.
The 9/11 incident is used as an example to show you that the cost of the CIA and FBI’s mistakes.
My point is that someone should take responsibility for the SMRT incident. Do we allow them to get away freely so that they can continue to make mistakes which will endanger the lives of Singaporeans? The mistakes by the FBI and CIA already lead to deaths in 9/11.
BTW don’t use “partly blamed” to counter me. To explain the causes of 9/11 takes more than a report, more than a wiki article, more than a book and more than the SHALLOW brain of yours. So don’t ever try doing it in this page.
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