Three men stand out in the Singapore Story: Lee Kuan Yew, Dr. Goh Keng Swee and S. Rajaratnam. They were different in personality and temperament yet united in their vision of creating a just and fair state based on equality and prosperity.
My talk will focus only on Dr. Goh- the chess player, the self-taught musician, the teacher, the social scientist, the economist, the pragmatist, the administrator par excellence, the planner, the reluctant politician.
It is a story of leadership by example, of adhering in his personal life to the same consistent values of frugality, fairness, intellectual rigour and discipline, as he exhibited in his public persona. Did he and his colleagues in the 60’s have doubts that Singapore could survive as a state? How did he confront his fears? In experimenting, how does one reduce the risks of failure?
Based on extensive interviews with those who had worked with him in his various ministerial capacities in finance, defence and education, coupled with personal interaction with the man as a family member, my talk will flesh out the man, his motivations and values, the times (1940’s to 1984), the joys as well as the personal sacrifices of public service.
