Singapore's Buses and Trains: No Durians Allowed But It Could Be Much Worse!

Singapore’s public transport system is extremely efficient. But you probably already knew that, or took it for granted.

The bus and train system is clean, affordable, punctual and effectively coordinated to connect all parts of the 687 square kilometre island well.

In 2008 an average of 2.2 million daily trips were recorded by both the bus and train network. The train (or MRT) network accounted for almost two thirds of the journeys while the buses account for the remaining third. For a resident population of 4.8 million that is an impressive number.

Fines for violating SMRT's strict rules on food and drink consumption keep the system clean

SMRT Corporation, a publicly listed corporation since 2000, is responsible for bringing together various modes of transport on the island. Primarily, it operates rail, light rail and bus services.

Unlike many of its global counterparts, SMRT makes a profit while providing an efficient public service. It has increased its revenue from approximately SGD 497 million in 2002 to SGD 879 million in 2009. In the same period, after tax profitability has almost tripled from SGD 57 million to SGD 163 million.

The network has also been considerably expanded and many new MRT stations and bus interchanges have been added. Upgrades of many existing facilities have been carried out.

By now you must be wondering why I am singing the praises of a public transport company. It is not because I am a model railway enthusiast (which I am).

The reason is because anyone who contemplates how such a network is operated so seamlessly and hassle-free will realize that it is a gargantuan operation. It requires meticulous planning to make sure that all the disparate moving parts don’t grind on each other at any point in time. (If you don’t believe me try being a ‘Railroad Tycoon’ on one of the many such computer games available!)

Just go and watch how the buses operate at a major interchange like Boon Lay. Or maybe you prefer to stand and watch in one of the newer air conditioned bus interchanges? Remember the buses feed into the MRT and vice versa – as does the cashless payment mechanism, the Ez-Link Card.

And spare a thought for the front line staff, the bus driver or train driver, who seems to be getting short shrift these days.

If anyone has the opportunity to travel on the London Underground during peak rush hour you may find yourself thanking the SMRT bus and train Customer Service Charter.

I can assure you that you will not be complaining about bus engine noise levels affecting the comfort of your trip.

The Hippie Trail, Osama Bin Laden and the Swat Valley

Pakistan is no stranger to the news media.

From suicide bombings, military operations, and global terror plots to caves supposedly sheltering the world's most wanted man (Osama Bin Laden) Pakistan is on CNN quite regularly.

It is normally for all the wrong reasons.


A young Pakistani girl with mehndi (henna) painted on her hands

Pakistan's colourful history deserves more credit.

In the 1960s and 1970s, it was on the 'Hippie Trail' to Kabul (Yes - Kabul, Afghanistan - songs have been written singing praises of the supposedly legendary Afghani hashish!). At the time, trekking in the (now famous) Swat Valley was almost compulsory for members of the long haired tribe.

The 1980s saw Pakistan became a frontline state in the war against communism and the Soviet Union (anyone seen Charlie Wilson's War?). It also had the notorious distinction of acting as a transit point for almost 90% of the world's supply of heroin during that decade. Religious bigotry and extremism was actively encouraged by US foreign policy and dollar diplomacy during the First Afghan War (some may recall that Rambo III was dedicated to the people of Afghanistan!).

The 1990s was Pakistan's lost decade. Even a valiant attempt by a transvestite to reform the nation (see my Transvestites, Prime Ministers, Religious Scholars and Pakistan's Future) failed to prepare the nation for the new millennium.

While poverty and Islamic extremism were married in the 1980s, their Godson (the Taliban and Islamic militancy) was born 20 years later.

The post 9/11 environment again catapulted Pakistan into the front line of both the 'War against Terror' and also the daily news. The Second Afghan War, although with different flags and uniforms, started in late 2001 and remains in progress as I write.

This decade's story is still unfolding, although with serious electricity shortages plaguing the nation, it is a difficult story to communicate. US aid in the form of power plants will win much more sympathy than a larger embassy in Islamabad!

Whether Pakistan is a victim of circumstance, geography or just inept leadership, it is difficult to say. What one can say with certainty is that 160 million people (including approx. 2.5 million Afghani refugees leftover from the First Afghan War against the Soviet Union) call it home.

With all this talk of terrorism, military operations and the like I thought it will be useful to write about some of the more congenial aspects of Pakistan.

In the next few weeks I will share with my readers 5 little known but interesting facts about Pakistan.

Stay tuned ...

Afghanistan, US Troops and the Impending Fall of Kandahar

It is shocking to note that despite the large NATO / US troop presence in Afghanistan, it appears that Afghanistan's second most important city of Kandahar is in danger of falling to the Taliban. Apparently, the Taliban have already established a parallel judicial system in the city comprising of Shariah courts.

What are these NATO / US troops doing in Kandahar – patrolling and securing the perimeters of their base?

Kandahar is not a village or valley outpost in rural Afghanistan. It is a large urban area which even has a functioning airport serving international destinations. Additionally, the city is the spiritual home of the Taliban and its leader Mullah Omar (USD 10 Million bounty available!).

Securing Kandahar is symbolically and practically vital if the international effort in Afghanistan is to succeed.

Watch a short (2 minutes) video clip by award winning Wall Street Journal reporter Peter Spiegel about a classified assessment of the ground situation in Afghanistan now being prepared for US General Stanley McChrystal. General McChrystal ordered the review after being recently appointed over as the new US commander in Afghanistan.

Poetry and the Singapore Debate

There is considerable debate taking place in the Singapore media about Singapore and its future.

To some extent, the debate has been sparked by people like me - recent immigrants who are not born and bred in the city-state. Maybe if I spoke some Singlish I would not stand out so much or perhaps there is some resentment as some of us are exempt from the National Service (Singapore's National Service, Private Mohan Das and Social Harmony) requirement - a key part of the 'Singapore Experience' for males.

Singapore Airlines, an iconic symbol of the nation

Making a place 'home' is much like getting married. There is a belief that this is 'the one' and since we have to grow old and die somewhere then this is the best choice.

Of course, immigration is about economic opportunities too but ultimately making a long term future for oneself concerns more than just money. Not all of us are mercenaries by nature.

Like a good poem, a home must somehow strike a chord which is not easily expressed through rational thought. We can try and pretend the decision is based purely on reasoning (A Few Reasons Why Singapore Became Home) but is that really the case?

Even in the best of times, life altering decisions tend not to be logical or coherent!

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A sampling of the debate through the columns of Singapore's main English daily newspaper, The Straits Times:

1. Benefits for singaporeans compare favourably with that elsewhere
2. Shameful that some Singaporeans don't know National Anthem and Pledge
3. Make English and modified NS [National Service] a must
4. Get locals, China-born citizens to interact for two-way language learning
5. Pleasant, familiar signs of patriotism as National Day approaches
6. Hold compulsory courses and exams to get citizens of higher calibre
7. Singapore is her home because of multiracial and religious harmony - and English

2006 Bordeaux Wine at USD 600 a Bottle?

I am not a wine connoisseur and until (if ever) I make my millions I will certainly not spend USD 600 on a bottle of wine. Nevertheless, there is no harm in reading (or writing) about wine.

It was earlier believed that 2006 vintage will be a great year for first growth Bordeaux wines. Red wines from several of the most prestigious chateaux (Latour, Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild and Margaux) have just been released for drinking.

2006 was meant to be a good year for Bordeaux wines

According to the well known wine journalists and husband and wife team of Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher the wines do not meet expectations.

For those who have the money (and inclination), the suggestion is to wait at least another year before purchasing any 2006 Bordeaux as prices are expected to decrease. (For the rest of us, it means that a cheaper 2006 Bordeaux may not be as great as we might have earlier believed!)

Watch a short video clip (approx. 4 minutes) of their comments on the 2006 vintage here.

Happy National Day Singapore!

To all my readers from Singapore, "Happy National Day" and thank you for your visits to my blog ...

After Baitullah Mehsud: What Next for Pakistan?

News reports indicate that the most wanted Islamic militant leader in Pakistan is dead and buried. In the last few years Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Mehsud tribe, transformed a local militant movement in the Northwest Frontier Province into a national security challenge for the Pakistani state.

Drone technology has changed the nature of the war against Islamic militants

After the storming of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, suicide bombings attributed to his Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group became a routine feature in the Pakistani landscape. It is widely believed that Baitullah is responsible for the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (what was she doing with her head out of the specially provided armoured vehicle anyway!).

Celebrations among the Pakistani security establishment will be short lived. There is no indication that Baitullah's death means that the hostility of tribes in Waziristan towards a Pakistani military presence in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) will diminish.

Apparently, a tribal shura has been meeting for three days now to choose the new 'Emir.' All three frontrunners for the position are existing local commanders within the Baitullah network.

The sad reality is that once the new leader of the TTP has been annointed he will wish to brandish his credentials among his followers with a new deadly campaign against the Pakistani state. The calls for revenge among the foot soldiers will be loud.

The Pakistani government has either to renegotiate a peace deal with Baitullah's successor and convince him to focus his efforts on fighting foreign forces in Afghanistan or the government can attempt to strike the group militarily while it is in a weakened state due to the leadership vacuum / transition.

My recommendation, keep the military pressure cooking but do not send ground troops into the battle (at least not just yet). Military pressure means continued coordination with the US on the use of drones and regular attacks by fighter aircraft or helicopter gunships, as dictated by the target. Specialized mobile ground troops can be inserted for specific action if necessary, but in this era of drones when is that a necessity?

Pursuing a major ground offensive is setting the military up for failure. The Pakistani military has just redeemed itself through the Swat operation and another failure in FATA will have negative repercussions throughout the nation. Questions about the state's ability to take on Islamic extremists may develop into feelings of acquiescence and seep into the political debate.

Along with the stick a carrot must be offered, to some tribes at any rate.

Those tribes which may see an opportunity to break away from the hegemony of the Mehsuds' should be encouraged to go their separate way. The tribal chiefs, like all genuine leaders, want to see development of their region as a way to appease the constituency. Promises (and ultimately delivery) of massive amounts of money poured into schools, roads and other basic infrastructure may help in isolating the extremist groups from the tribes willing to work with Islamabad.

The next few months will be critical in determining the new security environment for Pakistan. The military's dilemma is real � strike quickly while the iron is hot and risk alienating some tribes further or sue for peace from a strengthened position knowing full well that ultimately the tribes will always determine their own fate.