He was someone who could come up with fresh ideas and fresh insights.
He had a sense of mission - when he felt that something had to be done, he would do it.
He was a visionary and it was his unseen hand that had helped build Singapore into a modern metropolis.
He was not just Singapore’s economic and social architect, he also played a significant role in Singapore’s political destiny.
And YES, he was Dr. Goh Keng Swee, who, together with Lee Kuan Yew, Toh Chin Chye, Kenneth Burn, and Tun Abdul Razak, started the pro-Independence Malayan Forum in London. Later, together with Lee Kuan Yew, Toh Chin Chye and S. Rayaratnam, he went on to start the People’s Action Party (PAP) in 1954. This party swiped into power in the first Legislative Assembly in Singapore (the predecessor of the Singapore Parliament) in 1955.
More, he established the Jurong Industrial Estate and persuaded foreign Multi-National Companies to invest there. His reasoning then was simple: If we could give sufficient tax incentives to foreigners, they would be attracted to invest here, and in turn, Singapore would be safe because if any foreign power was tempted to attack Singapore, that foreign government would be hurting their own people’s investments. At the same time, he believed that Singapore had to have a strong army and thus he instituted the compulsory 2-year National Service for all male Singaporeans at eighteen years of age. This step had three main aims - (1) to ensure that the young minds would be trained to serve the interest of Singapore first; (2) to build a strong people’s army base - field, naval, air and also vigilante corps - such that invasion from foreign powers could be stemmed out; and (3) to enable the younger generations of Singapore to be physically fit. There was to be no exemption and all sons of cabinet ministers (including the Prime Minister), Members of Parliament, were all roped in.
Then, he advocated the development of Jurong Bird Park and founded the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
More, against all odds, he convinced his colleagues in Parliament to have Singapore’s own currency instead of having a joint currency system with the next-door Malaysia.
More, when he noted that the standard of education was far too low, he abolished the ‘one-system-fits-all’ educational system and replaced this with streaming of the students at various stages of the educational years such that the late-developers would have a trade-oriented secondary school curriculum.
In short, he was responsible for developing the economic strategy that was crucial for Singapore during the initial years of her independence.
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I had the honor of meeting this noble gentleman in person three times - once after a public street rally at Kreta Ayer Street, Chinatown, when he came down to thank the organising members for the efforts in crowd control way back in the early 1958 and twice at his office during the period when I was serving at the Housing and Development Board (1966 to 1969) as its Contracts Officer.
“We need to build apartment blocks in Jurong,” he said to the Chief Architect and me, both of us sitting opposite him at his desk, “and to build them fast. We have already attracted foreign industrialists to invest in Jurong and now we need to have the workers’ accommodation to make them stay close to the factories here. I don’t want to see the workers being ferried every day from the city by lorries.”
“What are your targets, Sir - number of housing units and the time frame within which to deliver them?” The Chief Architect asked. I was nervously watching.
“At least 5,000 units within a period of one year,” he replied. “Not only that,” he added, “but there is the need to build retail shops, hawker centres and so on to cater for the family members too.”
That was a tall order, I thought.
“And, how much will this cost?” he turned to me.
“It depends on the size of the units you required,” was my nervous reply as I had no time to think of an immediate answer.
“I know that we are building several blocks along Ayer Rajah Road, but they are three-bedroom units with shops on the ground floor and car-parking on the first three upper floors,” the Architect commented, “Those are the nearest to Jurong.”
“That won’t give us the 5,000 units I needed,” Dr. Goh reflected aloud.
At that junction, I had a plan on my head but hesitated to say anything. I looked at my immediate superior, the Chief Architect, for encouragement. He, in turn, turned to me and asked, “Can you remember how many units we have at Ayer Rajah Phase I development?” “From memory, it is around 2,000 units and they are due for completion by the end of this year,” I replied.
“However,” I continued, but I could not control the nervous stammer in my voice.
“What’s on your mind?” Dr. Goh urged me on.
“We can issue a VO (Variation Order) to have each three-bedroom unit converted to two one-bedroom units but the plans have to be drawn up fast,” I said.
“Settled then,” Dr. Goh gave a final wave of his right hand, “please proceed with this conversion and then have a plan to develop Jurong Residential Townships soonest.”
And there the meeting ended.
The next time I saw Dr. Goh was in 1969 when he knew that I was resigning to set up my own private practice. He called me to go to his office and I knew that he meant immediately. I dropped everything down and took a cab to be at his desk within an hour.
“I have an assignment for you,” he said after he had poured out a cup of Chinese tea for me.
“Yes?” I eagerly awaited for his instruction.
“As you know, the Currency Board is located at the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Building, occupying some floors there. I want you to make a study and to recommend to us what the rental should be for the Currency Board to pay to the CPF Board for a lease of the offices,” he said.
“Sir,” this time I was not as nervous as I was in the previous occasion, “I thought the two Boards are both the Government’s and so why the need for such a study?” I asked.
“CPF Board manages public funds as trustee to the working population,” he replied, “whereas Currency Board is a Government establishment. I have an indication as to how much this study would cost but as the issue before us is a sensitive one, I would rather have a Singaporean like yourself be given this assignment. Besides, I would like to help you in starting out on your own. And, please cut out the ‘Sir’ bit, would you?”
“Thank you, Dr. Goh.” And I meant every bit of my appreciation for that act of kindness.
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Read the following excerpts from the internet:
http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/public/DR_GOH_KENG_SWEE.pdf
A tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee
Dr Goh Keng Swee, (6 October 1918 – 14 May 2010) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore between 1973 and 1984. Dr Goh was the chief architect of modern Singapore, for he built Singapore military defence, industrialised economic and education system from scratch since its independence in 1965. This TV production by Mediacorp Channel 5 laid tribute to the late Dr Goh’s contribution to Singapore upon the passing of him in 14 May 2010.
State send-off for Dr Goh Keng Swee (1918 - 2010)
MM Lee: “Singapore has lost a remarkable son”
Published on Jul 25, 2013
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew delivers his eulogy at the state funeral for former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee.
“Dr Goh changed my life”
Temasek Holdings Chairman S Dhanabalan delivers his eulogy at the state funeral for former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee.
A Tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee Pt1/6 [Ch5 English]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibzH-tZ3llg
Goh Keng Swee died early on Friday morning, 14 May 2010, after a long illness. He was 91. Dr Goh Keng Swee will be remembered, above all, for his role as one of the prime architects of Singapore’s economic success. Many of the key milestones in Singapore’s journey from Third World backwater to globalised, First-World city can be found in the story of his life, vividly portrayed in the new book Goh Keng Swee: A Portrait by his daughter-in-law Tan Siok Sun. The son of a rich Malacca family - his father, Goh Leng Inn, was a manager of a rubber plantation, his mother was from the family that produced famous Malaysian politicians Tun Tan Cheng Lock and his son Tun Tan Siew Sin - Dr Goh joined the Department of Social Welfare in 1946, and was active in post-war administration. He resigned from the civil service in 1959 to enter politics and was elected as the People’s Action Party representative for Kreta Ayer, his constituency until he retired in 1984. He had one word to describe the state of the economy when he became finance minister in 1959: ‘Wretched’. Upon Singapore’s independence in 1965, Dr Goh also became Minister for the Interior and Defence until 1967, assuming responsibilities for strengthening Singapore’s military and domestic security capabilities. A key policy was the creation of National Service, a mandatory conscription system for able-bodied young males. In 1979, Dr Goh moved on to the Education Ministry, where his Goh Report greatly influenced the development of Singapore’s education system, introducing key policies such as streaming and religious education. Dr Goh retired as Deputy Prime Minister in December 1984, due to personal reasons.
A Tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee Pt2/6 [Ch5 English]
“In 1972, they would spend nothing for they would all left. The total reductions in expenditure for the four years 1968 to 1971 was $900 million - $90 million in 1968, $180 million in 1969 and so on. If these things were allowed to take the natural course, the result would be a severe and protracted economic recession.”
But the fighter in Dr. Goh was not to be defeated by either the separation from Malaysia or the British pullout. He accelerated Singapore’s drive to become an export-oriented economy.
A Tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee Pt3/6 [Ch5 English]
“Dr. Goh proposed to establish a bird park before a zoo in Jurong. I asked why and he said that seeds cost a lot less than meat. ‘Besides,’ he added, ‘as birds are more sensitive to the environment, we will soon know whether our Jurong industrial estate has been polluting our air quality.”
Quote from Mr. S. Danabalan, Cabinet Minister, 1980 - 1994.
“We must never forget that our very existence as an independent sovereign state cannot be made to depend on th sufferings of others. The most dependable guarantee of our independence is a strong SAF (Singapore Armed Force). A strong SAF in turn depends on the political will to make the effort and pay the price.”
A Tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee Pt4/6 [Ch5 English]
The entrepreneural Dr. Goh also decided to take a shot at producing military hardware at lower costs.
“One day I remember I was asked to bring a M16 rifle to his office and to strip it right in front of him. He then went through the various parts and to identify which were the parts that were made in Singapore and which were not. He then asked me to segregate the parts were not make in Singapore into high-value parts and low value items and asked why the high-value parts were not made locally. He believed that with the large number of good engineers in Singapore we should be able to absorb these technologies and in some ways we can build up our own capabilities in the production and maintenance of these weaponry.”
Quoted from Lai Chun Loong, Chartered Industries of Singapore - 1968 to 1993.
A Tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee Pt5/6 [Ch5 English]
After six months the Goh’s report was released. Sweeping changes were recommended not only in the way schools conducted their business but in the philosophy of Education. streaming was introduced - a policy which recognized that different children were born with different abilities. This was an unpopular policy but for Dr. Goh it was a practical and not an emotional issue. The high attrition rate in schools had led to wastage. The real problem, he argued, had to be tackled at the source. The problem was at that time it was the philosophy of one-size-fits-all one curriculum for all the pupils of different abilities being taught at a single pace which was suitable only for the better pupils. So that was why Dr. Goh felt that we should provide opportunity for every child to achieve his maximum potential in Singapore.
Dr Goh’s legacy in education was one of radical reform and transformation. Dr. Goh’s vision for Singapore went beyond merely fulfilling the material needs of its people. He put it thus, ‘Great drama and lively culture can thrive even with material shortcomings.’ His constituent in Kreta Ayer experienced this most directly where the five-term Member of Parliament (MP) had noted that Cantonese opera was a favorite leisure activity but the area did not have a theatre. So, in 1969 the first people’s theatre, an open-air theatre was built.
“Seeing him coming to such functions and sitting through the entire opera, you can see that he must have enjoyed as otherwise, you know, as an MP he could walk off at interval times.”
In 1979 the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) was born. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew said that it was Dr. Goh who convinced him that, as a people Singaporeans must have some feelings for the aesthetics in life. Dr. Goh had also pressed him to support companies like the SSO and the Bird Park even though these did not make money.
A Tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee Pt6/6 [Ch5 English]
“Whether you are a general, major, colonel or young officer, he would go straight to the person that he needs to do a job. So it was good from one point of view in that it meant that a young officer would be recognized quite early in his career. But then you had nothing to protect yourself if something went wrong, of you did not produce a good piece of work.”
Quote from Eddie Teo, Permanent Secretary, Defence Ministry, 1994 - 2005.
“I remember when he was already the MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) Chairman, he called me up one day and said ‘Philip, I need your help. Can you send me one of your computer guys to explain to me on computer,’ and I replied, ‘No problem,’ ‘No, no,’ he said, ‘I don’t want just an explanation, I want to know what is inside the computer. I want a person to open the inside of the computer and to show me the parts and the components,’ Wah! and I said, ‘Are you serious?’ ‘I want to know what’s inside the computer, I don’t want just to look at a terminal.’ Here was a man - an old man of retiring age - wanting to know what made the computer ticked. His curiosity was amazing. With whomsoever he interacted, he had the curiosity of a child. He never showed his knowledge but he was always asking questions and if he was captivated by something, then he would pursue that further.”
Quote from Philip Yeo, Chairman, Economic Development Board, 1986 - 2005.
