The Online Citizen extends our condolence to the family of Dr Goh Keng Swee.
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Source: Straits Times, 14 May 2010
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister and Singapore’s economic architect Goh Keng Swee died early on Friday morning 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.
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Rest in Peace, Dr Goh Keng Swee !
Thank you for being you ….
a fearless man who think out of the box, in almost every way …
Even in your divorce in old age & re-marriage, how many dared to live life to its fullest …
An economic man with cultivated interests in the Arts & Nature …..
Yes, many will blame you for streaming & moral education, but your achievements in Economy & Defence is unquestioned….
RIP !
Hon Sui Sen – 1st to go
E W Barker – gone
Lim Kim San – gone
Rajaratnam – gone
Goh Keng Swee – gone
Now leaving 3…..
Ong Pang Boon, Dr Toh Chin Chye
& Old Dirty Harry.
With greater power , you have greater responsibilties.
With due respect to GKS, the prime architect of Singapore’s economic success was a Dutch man by the name of Dr Albert Winsemius.
Perhaps the greatest Singaporean of all!
We cannot thank you enough Dr.Goh! You would be in our memory forever for the man you are and your great efforts for all Singaporeans!
And George, please do not make comments on something you really are ignorant of, please!
Have respect for this great Singaporean who has given us more than than anyone through his diligence and brilliance.
George
Without wanting to take anything away from Dr Albert Winsemius, without Goh,Hon Sui Sen and Ngiam and Pillay and others,refining and executing his advice,S’pore would not have done well.
He gave same advice to other countries, they ignored him. S’pore listened. And executed well. Taz the difference.
And one Harry Lee gave Goh etc political cover and support.
A bright,selfless man for Singapore, at the right time….
My condolence to the family.
dear honourable REAL fathers of singapoor
may you REST in Peace…
all the good ministers are dead ministers
why?
who is the next one, please?
says the hell master
My tribute to a intelligent, upright and principled man who gave everything and himself to the cause of the nation.
With all those gone
Hon Sui Sen – 1st to go
E W Barker – gone
Lim Kim San – gone
Rajaratnam – gone
Goh Keng Swee – gone
who can actually testified and be witness to the many events that need clarification and explanation.
Sad to see that Silence will soon be the case and ’1984 George Orwell’ actualized without neutral, independent investigaiton and publication.
Please hurry to re-write the actual, true Spore history.
Yes, old Harry is bidding his time and refuses to die, until all his old stalwarts are gone. So he can finally claim, all of Singapore’s success is due to him and only him.
My heart is heavy with sadness, such a noble, selfless man.
A passing of an era of an old guard. An icon of S’pore economic excellence. RIP.
LKY is the last of the mohicans.
perhaps it is timely for all (especially those who have been in power too long) that we are all mortals that will ultimately return to our Maker. So no need to be too cocky in the way we deal with others.
- Whatever arrogance, power, strength, authority, etc we have now are only temporary.
- Kinda brings a whole clearer perspective to things, doesn’t it ?
Think our million dollar ministers should take him as an example on how to help the people & run the country!
He’ll be best remembered by all able bodied Singaporean males as the man who introduced National Service.
wa lau, TOC…my comments are pretty harmless wat.. like that also under moderation for so long ??
Compilation of information about Goh Keng Swee can be found here
http://www.tinkrbox.com/tb/box.jsp?b=dHTd4AsYQ9yo
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100514-0000214/Former-Deputy-Prime-Minister-and-Finance-Minister-Goh-died-this-morning-after-a-long-illness
He is the real father of modern Singapore, with much more foresight and intelligence than the other one claiming to be one.
Does anyone know why he retired from Singapore’s politic in 1984??? The same year Lee Hsien Loong joins PAP 19 1984???
A man of principal and great mind. He heard he has predicted the coming predicament and failure of Singapore system after 1984.
Deeply grateful this is giant Singaporean!
george 14 May 2010
“With due respect to GKS, the prime architect of Singapore’s economic success was a Dutch man by the name of Dr Albert Winsemius.”
George . . come . . come. Sure or not? Are u mentally sound?
Don’t tickle our toes and underestimate our intelligence.
Dr Albert Winsemius & the likes are sent by the UN to its member nations. Just like you would go consult a financial planner. And anyone would end up in the top league. LOL.
At the end of the day the government of the day is responsible and accountable for the growth of the country.
If we went by your silly assumption then many, many, 3rd world countries today after having the UN’s experts’ advice would be like Singapore – a tiny, resourceless, no economies of scale 12th richest per capita on the planet and 2nd wealthties in Asia.
Unfortunaetly, the is ONLY one developed city-state on the planet. And it’s Singapore.
The impartial outside world recognises our MM as the key figure is founding modern Singapore – a 21st century global city.
Thank you very much for your and your family’s sacrifices for Singapore. Singaporeans will always remember you as a founding father of Singapore who loved and cared for Singapore and Singaporeans. Thank you. I bow to you and your family.
Truly the REAL father of modern Spore.
How many of the multi-millionster in the present cabinet can hold a candle to him?
When history is written, almost none of the present batch will be remembered; simply because of the caliber.More distinctively…..THEY WENT IN FOR THE MONEY, HE WENT IN TO BUILD A NATION.
RIP.
Dr Goh is credited with many great achievements, one of which is laying the foundation for a credible and modern SAF. As a young officer in the 1970s, I always remember what he said about Responsibility to the officers: “It is always easier to refer to higher authority. It is also safer. It must be quite clear that the officer who gets his job done, making an occasional mistake, is much to be preferred to the one who holds things up by refering everything to his superior. The only way not to make mistake is to do nothing and that, in our position today, would be the ultimate mistake”
I salute you Dr Goh.
Another founding father has left.
Singapore owe a big debt to these few who made singapore the country we know today.
Rest in Peace.
Thanks for all you have done. May you rest in peace. TO a fellow Simex Trader “GKS”, Thank you. Time to take your profit.
Mr Goh keng swee is one of the greatest politician singapore has ever had
He built the SAF and MOE and also Jurong Industrial park. He was the true founder of Singapore. MM is the pseudo.
If he had remained in Singapore, he would have been the Senior MM (SMM) ahead of MM. No wonder China wanted him to be their consultant not MM. One really worked, the other just talked cock.
I worked under Dr Goh Keng Swee as an officer of the Singapore Armed Forces. He was visionary; tough physically and mentally; alert mentally and astute; and thorough, realistic and determined.
He demanded a lot of sacrifices but sacrificed more personally in return. After a long day in the Ministry of Defence, he would come at night to visit the troops of National Servicemen led by regular officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who were doing night training.
One event in 1972 that touched me and made an awesome difference in my commitment to serving in the Singapore Armed Forces was his concern on the type, quality and preparation of fresh food rations for the troops. He was so concerned that he asked the late Mrs Lee, mother of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who was an expert in cooking peranakan food, to examine the menus and visit the kitchens of the military camps. Mrs Lee was thorough and caring. She spoke to 18-year old soldiers, cooks, Cook NCos, and officers, both young National Service officers and seasoned,Indonesian Confrontation-experienced NCOs and senior officers, and sought their judgement on the food they ate. She walked through the kitchens and dining halls. She even checked the utensils used to boil the rice and cook the food. And what a transformation SAF menus and the quality of food underwent after her “tour of motherly love duty”. The improvements made were each a fillip to the morale of troops during this pioneering period of the development of the SAF.
Looking back this experience was one of my high points during my military service.
Dr Goh – you were a taskmaster but you walked the talk as our Minister of Defence then and we saw your heart of comradeship and shared our vision of “one people, one goal and one SAF.”
We, the children of Singapore and joint men-at-arms of the SAF, salute you, SIR!
That Dutch man by the name of Dr Albert Winsemius was just another consultant. Was he around to put with the pains that Singaporeans had to endure to make the plans real? Have you forgotten how Tony Tan listened to another consultant from PERC and cut the CPF because Singaporeans are supposedly paid more than workers in USA or Australia.
Dr Goh
Truly, as a country we are blessed to have a generation of honest, capable and selfless leaders like yourself who laid the foundation for growth and stability.
Thank you.May your soul rest in peace. God bless.
to george 14 May 2010,
Can you really be so dumb that you can make comments like that?
The old guards did good work. What stake does Albert has for Sg? His is only advice. The old guards executed and did well. Even LKY did well as he is elected leader of the old guard. So give credit where credit is due. Don’t just wail just because you dislike anything that has to do with PAP.
As for GKS, thank you and have a good rest.
Singaporeans salute you GKS for your great public service that transform Singapore into a city of material abundance and prosperity and hope that you do not bring it along with you after your passing.
Really thank God for blessing us with great leaders like Dr. Goh, man with quick and accurate disernment and wise decision-making, yet, humble and faithful and always keeping his feet on the ground.
Hi George,
Maybe we’ll send for the (BTN) Biro Tatanegara course across the causeway for public servants & undergrads from public universities. You can be rest assured of double-vision when you complete the course because then you will not beileve “seeing is believing” anymore. Like today’s Singapore is the work of the foreigner Dr Albert Winsemius who gave us some advice as a UN expert.
george, ‘chia ang mor sai’
Heartiest condolences to Dr Goh K S. One of the gr8 leaders for our country. May God Bless you and may you rest in peace.
GKS should be remembered as Singapore’s chief architect that brought the country from third world to where we are now. Not the other fella.
Rest in Peace
RIP Dr Goh.
For us who are still alive, perhaps we can take a page off from Goh’s life achievements and overturn the conventional; i.e. the conventional of the day. It is sad if we remember Dr Goh only for what he has done but not emulating the spirit of his courage. It would be even more disasterous if we end up with a Cult of GKS that will defend to the grind the policies he founded just because he founded them.
Another great politican from the PAP has passed away. A great political party produces great politicians!
Give me another Dr Goh any time and replaced the current crop of Lim Swee Say, Balaikrishnan and Mah Bow Tan.
Ministers are meant to help relieve the hardships of the people and not add on their sufferings.
One Dr Goh can replace at least three of our current crop of inept ministers.
Dr.GOH
You are a wise , great and humble man to me and will be well remembered .
I miss you.
He was the true builder of Singapore, Lee only focus was discipline and at times a bully. Singapore would not be here without the old guard.
George
You ought to get you head examined.
Serious.
I have to agree with Gilbert, 15 May 2010.
Dr GKS was one of the the older generation who really knew what SERVICE to the people meant. I’ve never heard them haggled about paying themselves not enough nor claiming that they are the “Best”. (In fact, I think Mr Lim Kim San, architect of HDB, even went without pay – at least for a while or some duration?, AND he knew what Affordability meant!). President OTC also couldn’t be bought with a high salary; he fought for his principles. Etc, etc… These are the gentlemen and generation that I say I did my NS/Reservist for, and the PAP that I remembered. As such, we recall them as truly the sons of Singapore.
So, yes, compare with the old guards, the current crop of ministers are Not Cheaper, Not Better, Not Faster, Not worth my vote. Maybe there’s why they need to have 80++ of them in Parliament nowadays. We shall remember these as spoilt kids of this generation.
Ideas can come from many great men, but accepting, tuning, implementating to me sometimes is a hundred or thousand times more difficult. So many countries fail, so many companies, so many sages, so many dynasties, so many cultures, so many. Never a shortage of brains, but only Will. Winsemius is smart, but greater the intelligent team determined to make it succeed, and of course in a very local context.
A man who brought Singapore from 3rd world to 1st, who gave economic well-being to most Singaporeans that we have taken it for granted, yet created a class/social divide by differentiating ppl in school by streaming.
Dr Goh Keng Swee will always be remembered…the great titan for his generation.
agree with anti-george.
The late Dr Goh Keng Swee deserves the great accolades in recognition of his contributions towards our country. Heartfelt sympathies to his bereaved family on the passing of a great man.