MRT Station Manager
During my schooling time, I did all kinds of part-time jobs. Um, I used to be a newspaper delivery guy by night. I send newspapers to people’s houses at their doorstep. That time it was early stages of secondary school. Um, back then I was I think about 12 to 13 years old.
Then after that, when I go up to higher secondary, I worked part-time at a Japanese company. It's a warehouse. Dealing with microchips. That is my uhm, towards the end of my secondary school. That one [salary] is not big ah. One day, I think about between 30 to 45 dollars per day.
After my O levels, I don't want to enter NS (National Service) early. That's why I joined ITE (Institute of Technical Education, formerly Boys Town VI), just for the sake of playing soccer only. The term is two years, but after one year I decided to quit. Straightaway I masuk {Malay: enter} NS. That one is 1989.
…because I'm not interested [in studying] actually. I joined ITE for the sake of [soccer and] to try to avoid NS. I'm not mentally prepared to enter [NS]. So just for fun, one year, two years after that then I quit.
Two years after NS while looking for a correct and perfect job, I worked as a storekeeper dealing with hospital equipment. This is the beginning of job hunting until I get the job that I love to do lah. That one, the company still have. Dealing with hospital equipment like hospital beds, walking sticks, wheelchairs, hospital bandages - all this kind of stuff ah but dealing with the store ah. When the item needs to be sent out to the hospital then we prepare lah, whatever in the list…That one [I found the job] through newspaper I think.
…That one I think was 6 months. Cannot tahan [Malay: stand] the environment, you know? Because too dusty. Then a lot of heavy-duty equipment need to carry, bring up, bring in.
Then after that, I joined a dental company. It is a German company. Then, when I work as a Dental Technician, that one actually I don't know anything about dental lah. So, that is where I got to know my wife also. Then after that, I quit that job and joined my wife’s company. Hers was a French company, mine was German. They offer [the job] to my supervisor, so I go together with him over there.
It was about 2 years. That one also, after a while, the boss sent me and my supervisor go to JB [Johor Bahru, in Malaysia]. They opened a lab down there. So we go there, we train the Johor staff. Actually, they give us a house to stay there, but we don’t want because my supervisor got family what. His children also still schooling. So we travel to and fro everyday lah. After that, we quit this German company, and join this French company.
After that, after a while, I quit then I join uh, sports sales personnel. So that was two years before I wanted to marry my wife. That time we engage already so before we get married, I switched to a sports shop. They open so many stores now. I worked there for two years. That one also uh, good money, but they cheat on government. They declared my salary low, but they give me hard cash.
… [they cheat the government] because the income tax they can pay little. They smart, diorang main kotor [Malay: they play dirty]. Then, after that, when I want to apply for housing, I check and my CPF [Central Provident Fund, a mandatory social security savings scheme where both employees and employers contribute to a employee's savings for retirement, housing, and healthcare needs] only got this much you know [indicates tiny amount]. Then I realized I got cheated by him because he did not show my payslip, he just every month give me hard cash.
…so they cheat the government ah. They declare to the government that my pay is low. They did consistently pay me but they fooled the government. Then after that, I work all the weekends, they give extra cash again. Sometimes when it comes to food, the boss also sponsored us all. Good ah, this boss. But I quit ah. But I make more than enough until for that two years I had money to prepare for marriage. Then after that, I find a proper job ah since I got wife already.
Then that time my first daughter came along. I worked in the airport. The job, the shift macam rojak (Singlish: like all over the place). They got I think six, seven shifts. Then after that, my current job appeared on the newspaper. The company needed people. They standard, they will recruit staff during recession period. That is where they pay the staff low pay. They are smart. I went to the interview, and I was confident that I would get the job.
This year…is my thirtieth [year] in this company. This money is used to raise my 4 kids. That time my pay at the airport was, uh, 600 plus. I work at this company – 850. Then because I completed my NS, they up another 100. So my basic is 950 during those days. During recession ah. [suddenly became teary – as if recalling those times]
My friend last time during 1987, their pay was 400-500. That one also during recession. They are smart for doing that. So that was how it was like after finish school, after NS, doing job hunting until I get the job that suits me. Initially, when I joined this company, it was stressful. Because the module, at the end of my course, the model right, I have to learn the railway procedure [demonstrating the model using his hands], customer service procedure. Morning study, after lunch test. Every day like that. Stress.
I was a railway assistant, last time they called it that ah. Initially, they offered me as an SM, Station Manager, but I reject. I still had no confidence at that time. I told them to give me another few years. That time, 1995 ah, my boss called me uh, say I want to put up your name. He asked if I wanted the post, then I said ok lah. If he is confident in me, I will take up the challenge ah. I go for the course and I prove to you that I can do it. So until now, I am still an SM. Slowly, from 850-950 till now ah three thousand plus, nearing to four thousand. During those times, I received a lot of different kinds of awards. They recognize my efforts – like Public Transport Gold, appear in newspapers, all that.
…Oh STOMP [a popular platform where Singaporeans contribute news, known for its online vigilantism], I don't think anything, but I just do my job. Actually, the one who trigger the fella is my ASM (Assistant Station Manager) ah. That time, my ASM alerted me that there was a passenger with a scooter. He by right need to fold it ah. So I talked to him, and he was not happy so I had to step out and talk to him at the gate. He questioned why he had to fold ah but I told him it’s by regulations. He argued that there was no signage that says so and said it’s a grey area. He challenged me saying, “If I don’t want to fold, what are you going to do?” If you don’t fold then I don’t allow you to enter lah. And if he force himself in, of course I call the police.
“Because of this you want to call the police?” I said, “Yes lah, because you never comply to our regulations.” I said like that. Then he fold lah. Actually, he did not want to fold because there is a parcel on the scooter. It was so small, I think he was just lazy. I wasn’t aware of the STOMP. In the morning, my colleague called me, “Bro, shit, shit, shit. You kena (Singlish: got) STOMP, kena STOMP.” My wife and daughter also saw the post. But the comments took my side. They got say “You dare to take the staff photo, the video, but you don't dare to show your face. You are coward!” Even my boss didn’t know. There were a lot of negative comments. Then, in the end, the poster was embarrassed and took down the video. My wife said there was about 30,000 views. So whenever I go to work, my friends will be like “Wah, Abang, good job. Steady!” [laughing and smiling while reflecting on the incident]
We have to deal with all kinds of passengers lah. Because every day, a new set of passengers. Especially Monday. Normally we call this Monday Blues. Especially when the gates got problem, train got delay, then they will vent their frustrations and scold us lah. Certain times, they also threaten us. “I will complain you to the press, I will complain you to the newspapers.” But it’s beyond my control. You want to complain, you want to write in? It’s up to you. But your conversation with me all recorded here. I will point to the recorder as I say this. I will tell them. But in the end, no complaints. Got one time, this fella was furious and throwing a fuss at me, but I just clap my hands. “Wah, good, good, good. Go complain lah.” Then my boss was angry, “You crazy ah?” [laughing it off] I explained to him so many times. He don't want to listen to me, still want to argue, still want to challenge me. I said good lah, at least my management know that I am working what. You want to complain, you complain lah. That is the most challenging thing [about the job] ah.
…Train problem? I’m answerable. Track problem? I’m answerable. Incident in the station? I’m answerable. Accident in the station? People falling down from the escalator, fainting or anything, I have to answer. In short, any damn thing in the station during my shift? I am answerable. Any damn thing. Defect lah, shop got problem lah, aircon spoil lah, train not moving. Need to quickly rectify whatever problem. So, everything falls back to me, the Station Manager. The ASM… [wipes his hands while smiling sarcastically]. If the delay is more than 5 minutes, I have to write the report. Then, accident, like people falling from the escalator, I have to raise the report because my company scared that if I don’t raise the report, if immediate family want to claim medical compensation, there’s no report. So, I submit the report based on what I see, what I observe, when it happen during that time. So, anything my company can answer to the immediate family. …Actually [the pay is] not justified ah. Our title is manager, but we are the lowest paid managers in the system.
But I tell the other staff Kita semua dah tua. Dah ada cucu, dah ada menantu (Malay: We are old already. We have grandchildren and sons and daughters in laws already). We know our roles and our duties. We just do our part. Simple as that. We come to work happy, we go back also happy.
Singapore, 2025