| unit = 20th People's Defence Force into a middle class Peranakan family and the fifth of six children. His father Goh Leng Inn was a manager of a rubber plantation, while his mother Tan Swee Eng, came from the family that produced the Malaysian politicians Tan Cheng Lock and his son, Tan Siew Sin, who would later become Goh's lifelong political opponent.
Goh was given the Christian name Robert, which he disliked and refused to respond to. When he was two years old, his family moved from Malacca to Singapore where his maternal grandparents owned several properties. The Gohs later relocated to the Pasir Panjang rubber estate when his father found work there and became manager in 1933. Like many Peranakan families, the Gohs spoke both English and Malay at home; church services were held at home on Sundays in Malay. Goh's father Leng Inn and his brothers-in-law Chew Cheng Yong and Goh Hood Keng taught at the Anglo-Chinese School and were involved in the Middle Road Baba Church, where Hood Keng was pastor. Goh attended the church as well.
Goh attended the Anglo-Chinese School and returned to the Department of Social Welfare, serving as assistant director and then Director. In 1958, he became Director of the Social and Economic Research Division in the Chief Minister's Office before resigning from the civil service in August to work full-time for the People's Action Party (PAP). and appointed Minister for Finance under Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's first Cabinet.
As Minister for Finance, Goh assumed the stewardship of Singapore's economy. As a budget deficit of S$14 million was forecast that year, he introduced stringent fiscal discipline which including cutting civil service salaries. As a result of these measures, he was able to announce at the end of the year when delivering the budget that the government had achieved a surplus of $1 million. The next year, he started the development of the Jurong industrial estate on the western end of the island which was then a swamp, offering incentives to local and foreign businesses to locate there.
thumb|900px|center|[[Jurong Industrial Estate with Jurong Island in the background, photographed in November 2006.|alt=An industrial landscape with buildings and numerous cranes.]]
In the 1960s, there were great pressures from communist agitators working through Chinese-medium schools and trade unions. Divisions existed within the PAP as well, with a pro-communist faction working to wrest control of the party from the moderate wing, of which Goh and Lee Kuan Yew were key members. A key source of division was the issue of merger with Malaya to form a new state of Malaysia. Goh and his fellow moderates believed this was a necessary condition for Singapore's economic development because Malaya was a key economic hinterland; merger would also provide an alternate vision against communism for Singapore's Chinese majority. In July 1961, 16 members of the pro-communist faction broke away from the PAP to form the Barisan Sosialis, and captured control of the main trade unions.
Federation of Malaysia
In 1961, the Singapore Government secured approval from Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman for a merger, motivated in part by the Tunku's desire to stabilise the security situation in Singapore and to counter the perceived communist threat by the Malayan Communist Party. In 1963, Singapore joined Malaya, along with Sabah and Sarawak, to form the Federation of Malaysia.
However, the merger soon proved problematic for Singapore's leaders. Fundamental disagreements emerged over political and economic principles, particularly the issue of Malay dominance. Communal tensions escalated into violence in 1964, incited by both Malay and Chinese activists in Singapore. According to Lee, Goh played a key role in safeguarding Singapore's interests, especially in economic disputes with the Malaysian Minister of Finance and his own cousin Tan Siew Sin, whom he believed acted in hostility toward Singapore.
After two difficult years within the Federation, Lee asked Goh to negotiate with Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak and Minister for External Affairs Ismail Abdul Rahman in July 1965. The aim was to explore the possibility of a looser arrangement for Singapore within Malaysia. However, following the discussions, all parties concluded that a clean break would be in the best interests of both sides. Tunku Abdul Rahman ultimately agreed to this course of action, paving the way for Singapore's separation from Malaysia.
Goh maintained a secret dossier that he codenamed "Albatross", which contains files and notes from the months leading up to Singapore's independence. According to one of the file's documents, authored by Goh himself, Goh chose not to follow Lee's orders to negotiate for a "looser arrangement" but only ever broached separation with Tunku. Writing in his memoirs, Lee claimed that he only realised that Goh "never pressed Razak for a looser rearrangement as I had asked him to" in 1994.
Post-independence
Minister for Interior and Defence (1965–1967)
thumb|right|Infantry soldiers of the [[Singapore Army awaiting the arrival of the deputy commanding general of the Army National Guard, United States Army Pacific, for a joint military exercise in July 2009. Mandatory conscription was initiated by Goh when he was Minister for Interior and Defence.|alt=A row of young soldiers wearing green camouflage uniforms and dark green berets and holding rifles, standing at attention.]]
Upon the independence of Singapore in 1965, Goh relinquished his portfolio of Minister for Finance and became Minister for Interior and Defence in 1967, assuming responsibilities for strengthening Singapore's military and domestic security capabilities. A key policy was the creation of National Service, a mandatory conscription system for able-bodied young males.
Minister for Finance (1967–1970)
Goh served as Minister for Finance again between 1967 and 1970, greatly influenced the development of Singapore's education system. He was described as both a key political and strategic leader responsible for the transformation of the system over 30 years from "fair" to "great", according to a November 2010 McKinsey report. He set up the Curriculum Development Institute, and introduced key policies such as religious education—subsequently discontinued and, in 1980, the channelling of students into different programmes of study according to their learning abilities, known as "streaming". Goh served two terms as Minister for Education, his first term ended in 1980, and his second following the 1980 general election from 1981 until his retirement in 1985.
From 1 June 1980, he was redesignated First Deputy Prime Minister upon S. Rajaratnam being made Second Deputy Prime Minister, and served as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore until he stepped down from Parliament on 3 December 1984, at the age of 66.
Other contributions
Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)
In 1981, Goh expressed the view that the central bank need not hold large amounts of cash in reserve to defend the currency, proposing that the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) be established to invest excess reserves. At the time, it was unprecedented for a non-commodity-based economy to have such a sovereign wealth fund. The foreign merchant bank, Rothschild, advised on the GIC.
Defence Science Organisation (DSO)
In 1971, Goh put together the Electronic Warfare Study Group, a team of newly graduated engineers who had excelled in their university studies that was headed by Tay Eng Soon, then a university lecturer. The group worked on Project Magpie, a secret project to develop Singapore's defence technology capabilities. In 1977, the group was renamed the Defence Science Organisation (DSO). Originally part of the Ministry of Defence, the organisation became a non-profit corporation called DSO National Laboratories in 1997.
Cultural, sports and recreation
thumb|The [[Jurong Bird Park was one of Goh's many projects|alt=Blue-and-yellow Macaws perching on branches in front of a sign stating "Jurong Bird Par", with orchids and palm trees in the background.]]
Goh was also responsible for projects that sought to improve Singaporeans' cultural and leisure life, such as the Jurong Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
He backed the construction of the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre in his constituency as a venue for Chinese opera performances. In 1968, Goh encouraged the establishment of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Goh was also instrumental in introducing rugby in the Singapore Armed Forces and later in schools. In recognition of his role in promoting the sport, the Schools "C" Division Cup is named after him.
Impressed by an oceanarium in the Bahamas, he contacted the Sentosa Development Corporation and persuaded them to build an oceanarium in Singapore. According to Goh's daughter-in-law Tan Siok Sun, the medical condition caused him to become withdrawn and introverted. In July 2007, Tan published a biography titled Goh Keng Swee: A Portrait. Goh's second wife issued a statement claiming that Goh had not been consulted on the book and had indicated to her that he did not want any book to be written about him. "Therefore, the publication of this book is contrary to his wishes, and is a show of disregard and utmost disrespect to him." In an interview with The Straits Times, Tan said she did not start the dispute between Mrs. Goh and herself, nor did she wish to prolong it.
After retirement from politics, Goh continued to be active in public life, serving as Deputy Chairman of GIC between 1981 and 1994, Economic Adviser to the State Council of the People's Republic of China on Coastal Development and Adviser on Tourism in 1985, Deputy Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore between 1985 and 1992, Chairman of the Singapore Totalisator Board between 1988 and 1990, Director of Gateway Technologies Services Pte. Ltd. from 1991 onward, Adviser to the United Overseas Bank Group from 1993 onward, Chairman of N. M. Rothschild & Sons (Singapore) Ltd. from 1994 onward, and vice-chairman of Hong Leong Asia Ltd. from 1995 onward.
Death
On 14 May 2010, Goh died in the early morning at his home in Dunbar Walk off East Coast Road in Siglap, at the age of 91. His death was as a result of his old age and pneumonia.
His body lay in state at Parliament House from 20 to 22 May, and there was a state funeral on 23 May 2010 at the Singapore Conference Hall followed by a private ceremony for family members at the Mandai Crematorium.
The latter was conducted by the pastor-in-charge of Barker Road Methodist Church, with a message delivered by the Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, Robert M. Solomon.
Honours and legacy
In 1966, Goh was made an Honorary Fellow of the London school of Economics. In 1972, he was the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Services, which is often regarded as "Asia's Nobel Prize". It is awarded to people who have demonstrated integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. That same year, the Philippine Government conferred upon him the Order of Sikatuna, which is given to diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign states who have rendered conspicuous services in fostering, developing and strengthening relations between their country and the Philippines. and made the first Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Development Board Society in 1991.
During the National Day Rally on 29 August 2010, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the Singapore Command and Staff College, where senior officers of the Singapore Armed Forces receive training; and a complex to be constructed at the Ministry of Education's North Buona Vista Road headquarters for specialist teacher training academies in English language, physical education, sports and the arts would be respectively named the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College and the Goh Keng Swee Centre for Education.
Publications
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References
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Further reading
Books
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Eulogies at the state funeral
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Letters of condolence
News reports
External links
- , archived from the original on 1 April 2013
- National Library Singapore – NLS Resource guide on Dr. Goh Keng Swee
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