1918 - 2010 Goh Keng Swee - People's Action Party - PAP

Goh Keng Swee: The Man
active in the east, and
Asians were looking
to free their countries
from their colonial
overlords. It was then
he met Lee Kuan Yew.
To educate themselves
about politics,
the Malayan students
there set up the Malayan
Forum. Goh was its
first chairman. Quite a
lot of discussion was
done in pubs over a
few beers. His fondness
for the brew later
led to liver problems.
This was on top of the
diabetes he had.
Back in Singapore,
he got involved in the
unions, which were
fighting for a better deal for locals. He
did a survey on the incomes and housing
of the urban working class, using
a new methodology ­­ interviewing
heads of households.
What he gleaned from it was to
form the basis for the economic and
Goh Keng Swee’s legacy lies as
much in his attitude towards
work and life as all the policies
and systems he put into place. One less
well­known tale which indicates the
kind of man he was involves a priest.
Goh was then in the process of creating
the armed forces and wanted a
code of conduct drawn up for the man,
preferably by someone experienced in
the techniques of influencing people.
So he asked a Jesuit priest, Father J.
Sheridan, to do the draft.
A family portrait taken in the 1940s. Goh Keng Swee is seated.
social policies of a socialist­style political
party, the People’s Action Party.
When he returned to London for
his doctorate, he served as the PAP’s
talent scout abroad. It was a role that
he continued to play during his 25
years in government.
Waste not allowed
14 PETIR MAY / JUNE 10
The incident illustrates his innovativeness
in searching for solutions, his
knack of getting the right people to do
a job, and openness to consulting others
with the experience and the expertise.
For the armed forces, he turned to
the Israelis, because of their performance
during the Six­Day War, and because
they, too, are from a small country.
They were struck by “his iron will
and logic”.
On the economic front, he depend­
Many who paid
tribute to him recounted
how he had
come to their “rescue”
in their youth, and
helped them realise
their hopes. They include
Senior Minister
Goh Chok Tong, and
former permanent secretaries
Philip Yeo and
J.Y. Pillay.
At home, his resentment
for the colonial
system grew, and
he left the civil service
for politics, to change
the situation.
He was assigned to
contest in Kreta Ayer
and won. On June 5,
the only economist in
the Party was sworn in as Singapore’s
first Minister for Finance.
The really hard work had begun; a
legend was launched.
Goh headed the ministry twice,
from 1959 to 1965, and 1967 to 1970.
During these periods, he put Singa­
ed on Dutch economist Albert Winsemius,
who offered direction, suggestions
and guidance for a couple of
decades.
Many have described Goh as one of
those rare people who listened to others’
ideas; he certainly had no qualms
learning from his juniors, nor giving
young people a chance to tackle major
issues. If the suggestions made sense
to him, he would run with them.
If things did not work out, he admitted
his mistake and dropped the idea,