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

Dr Goh’s role extended well beyond economics. He had
a broad conception of a just society, and believed that
economic gains should be widely spread among citizens.
ate the finer things in life. Hence he
launched the Singapore Symphony Orchestra,
Jurong Bird Park, Singapore
Zoological Gardens, and the Chinese
and Japanese Gardens. These have become
popular outlets for Singaporeans
to relax at and enjoy.
This broad approach built a cohesive
and successful nation. Voters saw
how the PAP government was improving
their lives, and re­elected the Party
in successive elections.
Some of Dr Goh’s policies were
far from popular initially, for example.
persuading unions to switch from confrontation
to cooperation, and getting
Singa poreans to send their sons to do
National Service.
But he took full advantage of the
political preconditions which MM Lee
created to undertake tough courses of
action that produced results for Singapore,
and eventually won the voters’
support.
Dr Goh himself acknowledged this
readily. In his last major speech as a
minister in 1984, he explained that he
had been able to implement good policies
because of the PAP track record,
and because MM Lee as prime minister
could carry the public on difficult and
unpopular issues.
This speech was just before the
1984 General Election. The election
was a major step in the transition from
the first generation leaders to a younger
team.
In the same speech, Dr Goh urged
the new candidates who were about to
be fielded to build on what the founding
leaders had established, and bring
Singa pore to fresh pinnacles of success.
Mr Lee paying his last respects at Goh Keng Swee’s home in Siglap.
I was one of the new candidates in
the audience. Dr Goh’s speech left a
deep impression on us all. We knew
that henceforth the new team would
increasingly be responsible for keeping
Singa pore safe, secure, and successful.
Ever since then, we have done our
best to uphold this responsibility, to
hand over a better Singapore to future
generations.
Dr Goh’s life and contributions carry
important lessons for the Party.
First, we should be clear and unwavering
about what the Party stands for,
and what we want to achieve for Singapore.
We need to grow the economy to
give us the resources to live well, and
invest in our people and future. But
our aim goes beyond that – to foster a
strong and cohesive society, and ulti­
mately to build a nation.
Second, we must focus on getting
sound policies for the long term. The
Party must reflect on the aspirations
of the people, and be in tune with the
popular mood.
But it has a responsibility to think
beyond immediate sentiments and constraints,
and endeavour to lead Singapore
in the right direction.
Third, beyond individual policies,
our most important duty is to prepare a
future team to carry the torch forward
for Singapore. We must always be on
the lookout for new talent, and nurture
a new generation of party activists and
leaders for the nation.
These strategic priorities will enable
the Party to continue serving Singapore
well and improve the lives of all
Singaporeans year after year.
PETIR MAY / JUNE 10
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