DriveAspirationEnthusiasmDesireZestZealJoy
ExcitementDevotionDedicationVibrancySpiritVerveLoveEnergyDriveAspirationEnthusiasmDesireZestZealJoy
ExcitementDevotionDedicationVibrancySpiritVerveLoveEnergyDriveAspirationEnthusiasmDesireZestZealJoy
ExcitementDevotionDedicationVibrancySpiritVerveLoveEnergyDriveAspirationEnthusiasmDesireZestZealJoy
ExcitementDevotionDedicationVibrancySpiritVerveLoveEnergyDriveAspirationEnthusiasmDesireZestZealJoy
ISSUE 2011 MICA (P) 147/04/2011
An annual publication to honour our people ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited
CONTENTS
MD’S MESSAGE
OUR PEOPLE, OUR PASSION
BE OUR NEXT PASSION! WINNER
Dear Colleagues,
The world-renowned novelist, E. M. Forster, of “A Passage to India” fame, once said that “one person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.”
Certainly, a person driven by passion is able to accomplish so much more because of dedication, aspiration, zeal and belief.
Just ask any of this year’s Passion! Award winners. Each and every one of those featured in this booklet is the embodiment of true passion. To them, work is not just a means to earn a livelihood – it is a joy in itself.
It should come as no surprise then that the judges had a truly difficult time deciding who should be crowned this year’s Passion! Award winner. In the end, it was decided that not one, but two, of our colleagues were truly deserving of this honour.
One of them is SBS Transit’s Heng Fook Juan – a living, breathing example that age is no barrier to learning, so long as you have the passion for it. At 60 – an age when most people are contemplating retirement, Fook Juan decided to challenge himself by transferring to a department which required a complete set of new skills. He not only mastered the new skills within three months, he also succeeded in adding value to his new department by marrying his old skills with the new.
Our other winner, Metroline’s Roberto Afonso, is another sterling example of passion and dedication. The coach maker treats all the buses under his care as one of his own and spends countless hours poring through every detail to make sure that nothing is left to chance.
In addition to the joint winners, we have also granted a Special Award to Theaga Rajan of ComfortDelGro Engineering, who regularly goes out of his way to help his customers and his colleagues. Once, he even drove his own car to help a customer who had been stranded by the side of the road when her car broke down.
Such exceptional performance is certainly something to be proud of and I am sure you will join me in congratulating all our Passion! Award winners and nominees.
May our Passion! Award winners continue to inspire us all!
Warmest Regards
Kua Hong Pak
In his New Year’s message to staff this year, MD/GCEO Mr Kua Hong Pak spoke of the need to have a passion for learning, given that ‘the path of knowledge is one that is never-ending’.
SBS Transit’s Heng Fook Juan is the perfect embodiment of this spirit of continuous learning.
At the age of 60, most people are already thinking of retirement. Not Fook Juan, who not only wanted to continue working, but also wanted to try something new. A mechanic all his life, he decided it was time for a change last year when he heard that there was a vacancy in the Logistics department – even though he had no experience in this field.
His transfer was approved and he did not disappoint. Working doubly hard, he picked up unfamiliar IT skills with aplomb, fearlessly asking questions and constantly seeking help from his supervisor and younger peers, never allowing pride or age to get in the way of his quest for knowledge.
HENG FOOK JUAN / 61
Logistics Personnel
SBS Transit, Singapore
Length of service | 37.5 years
Awards | CARES commendation
Within three months, Fook Juan had mastered the ropes – and was even able to provide added value by applying his mechanical skills to his new role. For example, on his own initiative, he helped with the assembly of the Transmatic Lamp Assembly spare parts during the non-peak periods, thereby shortening the turnaround time for maintenance and reducing the probability of the parts being misplaced.
So once again, congratulations Fook Juan!
That is the dictum Roberto Afonso subscribes to – so much so that he spends almost all his waking moments at the workshop. So strong is his conviction for perfection that his colleagues have all been infected with the same enthusiasm, and are likewise motivated to put in their best.
Thus, over the years, the accomplished coach maker has developed a solid reputation for himself as the master of his trade as he pushes himself to be heavily involved in all aspects of engineering. He is one who is not afraid of getting his hands dirty, conducting repair work in-house to the best of his ability with the primary purpose of reducing cost and shortening turnaround time, and to ensure the finished product meets his stringent standards.
His only complaint about his job? That he is unable to do even more. His tireless drive and passion for his work have garnered him the respect of both his peers and superiors, as he readily steps up to bat, running the show in the absence of his superiors, ever determined to ensure that the show not only goes on, but goes on well.
It is this genuine, personal pride that he takes in his work which has produced such excellent results for Metroline in the years of his service with the company, and which is to be lauded, as this service leader really walks the talk, and embodies ComfortDelGro’s passion.
“All the buses that come under my care are mine, and therefore, when they leave my workshop, they must be the very best as they are the icons of my city and country.”
What would you do if your customer’s car had broken down in the middle of the road and she was running late for work?
If you were Theaga Rajan, you would jump into your own car, pick the lady up and send her to work yourself – whilst concurrently making arrangements for her car to be towed to your workshop.
For his extraordinary feat, Rajan won over a customer for life.
THEAGA RAJAN / 54
Customer Care Officer
ComfortDelGro
Engineering, Singapore
Length of service | 1 year 2 months
Awards | Transport Gold Award 2010
EXSA Award 2010
CEO Commendation Award 2010
In fact, in a span of a year, Rajan has amassed a whopping 54 compliments from customers who have been wowed by his caring and empathetic nature. Despite having to deal with frustrated and frazzled customers upset with their vehicle breakdowns, he always keeps his calm, smoothing out ruffled feathers and allaying fears and worries with his gentle smile.
Though he has only been with the company for a relatively short time, Rajan has proven himself an invaluable asset. Not surprising then, that he has been hel up as a role model for many of his peers.
Well done, Rajan!
Metroline, United Kingdom
Length of service | 10 years
December 2010 was one of the coldest months
London had ever seen, with temperatures falling to a low of minus 14.9 degrees Celsius!
Worried about his drivers, Garfield McLean sprung into action, putting in 14 hours a day to ensure that they were not stranded as he went to various locations to help free buses out from the snow.
In fact, Garfield’s helpful hands extended not just to drivers from his garage – but to others as well. In all, he spent a total of eight hours in the freezing cold, shovelling snow and pushing buses.
Garfield’s sense of responsibility was also tested once when he chanced upon two teenagers who were trying to set one of Metroline’s buses on fire. He trailed them for a good 15 minutes before the Police finally caught up.
Such displays of passion and bravery are to be lauded. We are proud to call Garfield one of our own.
GARFIELD MCLEAN / 38 Service Controller, Harrow Weald Garage
