Singtel has granted a staff bonus just one week after an Optus network outage that affected emergency calls and was linked to three fatalities in Australia. The announcement was made in a filing to the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) regarding the grant of share awards under the Singtel Performance Shares Plan 2012. According to the filing, 32,198 ordinary shares in Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) were awarded, valued at S$4.26 ($5.01) per share, totaling S$137,163. The identity of the employee receiving the bonus was not disclosed, but the filing indicated it was part of an employee stock option/share scheme.

Share schemes are designed to motivate employees to meet performance targets. The filing specified that options may be granted only to employees or non-employee directors of Singtel Enterprise Security (SES), which provides cybersecurity services.

The timing of the bonus has raised concerns among industry analysts. Optus, which is fully owned by Singtel, experienced a significant network failure on September 18 that disrupted triple-0 emergency calls, leading to three deaths. Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon publicly apologized for the incident, highlighting the strong operational ties between Optus and its parent company.

Independent telecommunications consultant Paul Budde commented on the situation, stating, "The timing looks odd. Nobody bothered to put a hold on this [employee award]. Again, very poor internal communications/management." Thomas Clarke, a corporate governance expert at the University of Technology, Sydney, added that the incident reflects a disconnect between share bonuses and service delivery.

This development comes ahead of a scheduled meeting on Monday between Communications Minister Anika Wells, Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon, Optus CEO Stephen Rue, and Optus board chairman John Arthur. A Singtel spokesperson confirmed that Moon would be in Sydney for the meeting, which aims to address the fallout from the triple-0 incident.

On September 18, a technical failure on the Optus network impacted hundreds of triple-0 calls across South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia, affecting approximately 480 customers. Rue acknowledged the technical failure and stated that Singtel is committed to cooperating fully with the Australian government and authorities regarding the incident. It remains unclear if the Optus board will convene on Monday.