CONSTRUCTION work on the underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) beneath the Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout never seems to cease. On Thursday two weeks ago, 10 men in red uniform vests and grey helmets were seen preparing to unwind a spool of giant black cables around 10 centimeters in diameter. Nearby, another four men were checking pipes on the ceiling. In another corner, three men meticulously measured the floor and walls.

The men were all wor