Goh Keng Swee - the true architect of Singapore?

kilua SG

When i first read about Goh Keng Swee, i thought he was quite an extraordinary person. Some blog paid tribute to him by calling him "true architect of Singapore"

Correct me if i am wrong

He

1. Built SAF from scratch
2. Created DSO, Singapore's military research arm
3. Created EDB which was too successful and big that some part had to break off as

4. DBS
5. and JTC

6. Created MAS and Singapore's stock exchange
7. His deputy Joe Pillay under him in MAS went on to create SIA.
8. He had played a huge role in revising the education system in the 70s and 80s

I dont think its unreasonable to say that his thinking shaped many aspects of modern singapore.

It would really be interesting to read his memoirs.

kaobeikaobu SG

yes, he is not only the true architect of economic and finance, technology and sciene, security and defence in modern singapore, but was also the chief engineer in development of housing, education, arts, culture and nature as well.

u may also include HDB, PSA, CPF, MOE.

without his amazing and diverse contributions, Singapore might not be what it is today. Foresight or vision is nothing without the right person to implement. To me, the contributions of a great man will only be further glorified for generations if one knows when to step down or when to let go of the power, yet humble enough not to go around explicity or implicitly reminding ppl the existence of his/her seemingly infinite databank of knowledge or experiences, or his contributions.

Atobe SG

Dr Goh Keng Swee is certainly the true architect of Singapore and its Economy - as he was one of the very few from Asia with a PhD in Economics during the early 1950s.

Amongst the Founding Fathers - Dr Toh Chin Chye, Late Rajaratname, Lim Kim San, Othman Wok, Lee Kuan Yew - he was the quietest and most modest of the lot.

Dr Goh was the key organiser - with Dr Toh Chin Chye - in bringing Singapore out of Malaysia, and bring stability to the national psychic during those uncertain days immediately after separation.

A thinker and a visionary, Dr Goh held the helm at the Finance Ministry and made Singapore a financial center comparable to London, New York, Chicago, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Tokyo.

The Economic Development Board was his brainchild, and was established to develop Jurong Industrial Estate and to attract manufacturers from across the globe.

Singapore's land reclamation works was also the brainchild of Dr Goh Keng Swee and resulted in extensive works to reclaim swampland for the future Jurong Town Industrial Estate.

The Development Bank of Singapore was also formed to take over the financial funding of enterprises from the Economic Development Board.

When Dr Goh became the Minister of Defense, the prowess of his mind and his clear vision into the future helped to lay the foundation of the SAF from its early beginning. The Peoples' Defense Force was also established by him, to allow volunteers interested in the Military Defense of Singapore.

After retiring from Singapore Politics - for personal reasons - he was engaged to be a Consultant to help China open up, and merge into the Economy of the World.

His contribution to China's progress will not be known, but looking at the phenomenal growth of China in just a short span of twenty years, and comparing to what Singapore has similarly achieved in the same time frame, one can guess that his contribution has not been insignificant.

Tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee

Biography of Dr Goh Keng Swee

robertteh SG

The above post has re-confirmed what forumers have said here in this forum on many occasions.

We need true action talent and leadership to upgrade Singapore economy to the next level i.e. Value-added technology-driven hub. Dr. Goh Keng Swee is the type of action leader who could go about executing an overall macro-economic plan consistently with a focused mind that sustained the whole endeavours.

I noticed that as compared with him, the rest are mostly thinkers, coming out with a lot of concepts and assumptions and not action type. Despite all the rhetoric of economic restructuring over many years, we are still not making major headways as GKS has done since 1970s. As posted in the "20 major policy errors of government" many problems remain unsolved over many years. That is why since the 1970s, the economy has been moving sideways and nothing in terms of major upgrading has been accomplished.

To save the Singapore economy from being held hostage by all the pro-foreign conceptualisations, it is about time the party upgrade its own calibre of economic planning and execution. Go for actions and not all the talks. They should put in really more quiet but purposely and resourceful people who has the implementation capabilities to lead the country from behind.

Right now there is still a hodge podge of economic incentives to draw foreigners to invest here but there is still a lack of overall economic strategic master planning and implementation capabilities in our economy. Now because the world economy finally recovers so there is all the talks and concepts about leadership and talents rounding the economy just to catch a tide or wave to their favour. Intrinsically and in terms of creativity and strategic execution, we don't see much in whatever plans being launched.

New MPs and new ministers come and go and some only came up with business hubs and IT hubs but we do not see a coherent holistic plan being pushed by someone capable to reach goals and results.

claudetnt SG

Atobe:

"--- GKS ---he was the quietest and most modest of the lot. "

If you had met or worked with him, you will know Differently.

countdracula SG

he was a tough task master, no doubt. but he is modest as he does not seek limelight to claim his achievements unlike we know who. he knew his time was up before being forced to leave so he pre-empted his departure as well…..

king108 SG

Cool Really respect those name mentioned above. They really contribute to the building of singapore in the earliest and most difficult time.

monoslayer SG

is dr.goh still alive? no news of him liao leh..

gd4u SG

I got a question, so u are implying L** had no contributuions ??

robertteh SG

Citizens are not all that ungrateful. The truth is that the kind of leaders or talents we really need nowadays may not be those who keep talking about their leadership concepts or assumptions but those who get things done.

kaka_22 SG

Is Dr Goh still alive.... Rolling Eyes

kilua SG

He should be... but i last read that his health was not so good...

monoslayer SG

den he should quite old oreadi loh.. Rolling Eyes

Icemoon SG

a bit strange leh .. was he featured during the passing away of Raja?

do you think he still keep in touch with buddy Harry?

lotus999 SG

The true architect of Singapore should be Dr Albert Winsemius:

www.iias.nl/iiasn/iiasn9/soueasia/winsemiu.html

Dr Goh spearheaded streaming in primary 3. Do you all think that is a good policy? I don't think so at all.

Btw, Dr Goh have been described by his peers to be only a good civil servant and not a visionary.

kilua SG

The peers who described Goh Keng Swee not a visionary, who are they?

And If GKS is not a visionary, who is? LKY?

Maybe You might want to hear what Old Guard Lim Kim San had to say about LKY.

http://www.singapore-window.org/sw00/001205aw.htm

But bottom line, what does Lim really think of his old mate, Lee Kuan Yew? Some whisper that Lim, like other "old guard" leaders Toh Chin Chye, Ong Pang Boon, Jek Yeun Thong and Devan Nair, is sour toward Lee for the way he always insisted on being No. 1. The talk goes that Lee was lucky to catapult straight into the premiership since it suited his talent for oratory, vision, and strategic thinking. Had he needed to deal with the nuts and bolts of running a specific ministry, he might have come a cropper. If Lim shares this view, he keeps it to himself. Publicly, he says that without Lee's leadership, Singapore "would probably be like a third-world country now."

crop·per2 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (krpr)
n.
A heavy fall; a tumble.
A disastrous failure; a fiasco.

Atobe SG

Originally posted by kilua:

The peers who described Goh Keng Swee not a visionary, who are they?

And If GKS is not a visionary, who is? LKY?

Maybe You might want to hear what Old Guard Lim Kim San had to say about LKY.

http://www.singapore-window.org/sw00/001205aw.htm

But bottom line, what does Lim really think of his old mate, Lee Kuan Yew? Some whisper that Lim, like other "old guard" leaders Toh Chin Chye, Ong Pang Boon, Jek Yeun Thong and Devan Nair, is sour toward Lee for the way he always insisted on being No. 1. The talk goes that Lee was lucky to catapult straight into the premiership since it suited his talent for oratory, vision, and strategic thinking. Had he needed to deal with the nuts and bolts of running a specific ministry, he might have come a cropper. If Lim shares this view, he keeps it to himself. Publicly, he says that without Lee's leadership, Singapore "would probably be like a third-world country now."

crop·per2 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (krpr)
n.
A heavy fall; a tumble.
A disastrous failure; a fiasco.

If a leader needs only to be good at oratory, vision and strategic thinking but can only be a 'cropper' if left to deal with the nuts and bolts of executing his talk, vision and strategic thinking - can that person be a leader ?

Any other person will probably have the label 'NATO' stuck on him.

Is this the reason that we hear so much from one man, and with most of the works done by others ?

No Action, Talk Only.

Who build Singapore to what it is today ?

Those who 'talk' or those who provided the 'action' ?

pearlie27 SG

the late Rajaratnam was one of them.

anyway, i thought this thread is about Goh Keng Swee why are we shifting to LKY?

kilua SG

Originally posted by pearlie27:
[b]

the late Rajaratnam was one of them.

[b]

Is it written in print or is it just rumour?

Atobe SG

Further reading can be seen in the thread Comet in Our Sky ?.