What are we to make of the recent turmoil at the government-owned KCRC? Now that one senior member of staff has been fired and a semi-retired veteran temporarily invited back to hold the fort, is everything on track at the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation?
As these events unfolded last week, something just did not seem right. There may still be skeletons in the closet that could fall out, greatly embarrassing ministers and senior officials.
A problem could arise if the fired employee, marketing manager Michael Lai Kai-hin, sues the KCRC for unfair dismissal. He was apparently fired for being the ringleader of a revolt in which senior managers signed letters supporting the former executive head, Samuel Lai Man-hay.
Samuel Lai wrote to the board of directors saying he could not work with KCRC chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun. Whatever may have been the problem with Mr Tien's leadership style, he seemed to have done the right thing, tendering his resignation to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen so as not to cause a greater rift.
Mr Tsang wanted the matter resolved rapidly, so Transport Minister Sarah Liao Sau-tung stepped in and a board meeting was quickly called.
Senior KCRC staff held a press conference about their gripes on the same day as the board meeting. This was generally perceived as an attempt to put pressure on the board.
