Local legacy

"...channelling his energy towards helping people, especially the poor and disadvantaged. His guiding principal was to create a better quality of life for Singaporeans - that every man and woman is entitled to a better job, better pay and a roof over their heads, with beds to sleep on. This led him to devote a career in public service, playing a significant role in creating and shapingSingapore's destiny"

~ Ms Tan Siok Sun, daughter-in-law of Dr Goh

Ip man fought for integrity, Dr Goh Keng Swee fought for the people of Singapore.

Yesterday, the man who gave us industries, NS and streaming passed away.

If it was a year ago, I don't think I would feel much for his death - yes, he's a great man. but it doesn't hit home. Things changed during my induction program. Secretly, I admired him and looked up to him as a role model. He was visionary, and iron-willed. To bring all these to pass, I believe he met a lot of opposition, I wonder if there were times he doubted himself or even wanted to give up. Looking at the list of things we remember Dr Goh Keng Swee for, it doesn't seem like he had the time to doubt. There's a good load we can learn from him.

I don't see anyone else as bold enough to start Project Magpie and bring the right people in to realize it. Amazing.

"the whole National Service

and SAF was something completely unnatural to

Singapore? Without Dr Goh, nobody could have

pushed it through. Only he could have done it.

I mean ...he provided the inspiration. He provided

the vision. But he actually barged it through, overcame

the bureaucracy and the obstacles. He made sure

it succeeded."

"He read. He’s a tremendous, voracious reader.

And not only did he read, he would flag out a place in

the journal and sent it down to me with one line, you

know, like, “What do you think of this?” I would

spend the next three days catching up with my reading.

But I know he’s read it, so I had better do it."

~ LG(ret) Winston Choo, longest serving CDF

Read President's and LG(ret) Winston Choo recount Dr Goh's vision and passion.

In a way, I owe him my job. We all owe him our livelihood, no matter how much we hate NS and streaming. Would war be the topic of our lunches if not for him? No, scrambling for our lives, we won't even have time to discuss any topics.

//the last part about reading really reminds me of how I feel towards my RO. He knows what he's asking for, so I better read up more.Quite scary yet inspiring to work and learn from know-it-alls.