I'm 'kinda' happy that the MRT guard flashes his light into one open compartment of my bag (I have 3 compartments...) but the BTS does not do similar checks. I know what I would do if I were a mad bomber. Anyway, I thought it was odd.

i wonder that if i carry a knife , gun or bomb in the inner side of my bag , will this search found it . never try ,but my guess is NO !

The odd thing is that someone would think that the cursory security checks are just about "mad bombers" as the checks provide a superficial deterrence in this respect.

Think about it, one is underground, the other is elevated. There are much greater risks associated with an underground system relating to fire and chemical hazards. Especially, with large crowds in confined spaces.

This is the primary purpose of the security checks, though they are not really that effective given the pax numbers. The aim is to check for flammables, high pressure containers, chemicals & to keep out balloons or anything which could disrupt the power system should it unwittingly enter the tunnel. Just peruse the prohibited items pictorial sheet next time you take the MRT