PM Lee Hsien Loong's Condolence Letter on the Passing of Dr Goh Keng Swee

Dear Mrs Goh,

On behalf of the Government and people of Singapore, may I convey my deepest condolences to you and your family on the passing of Dr Goh Keng Swee.

Dr Goh was a founding father of Singapore. He belonged to the core group of leaders who struggled against the British colonial government, fought the communists in Singapore, and stood up against the communalists while Singapore was in Malaysia. After Singapore became independent in 1965, he tackled our nation’s most critical problems, and laid the foundations for our prosperity and security. Without him, the Singapore story would have been very different.

Dr Goh was both a far-sighted visionary and a pragmatic manager. He was a man of ideas, but also excelled at bringing these ideas to fruition. Whatever the challenges, Dr Goh would stay calm, bring to bear his capacious mind, work out the best course of action, and then act decisively to solve the problem.

In his 25 years in office, Dr Goh served in the most important ministries, making bold, imaginative changes to the policies and structures that now define Singapore. As Finance Minister, he initiated the industrialisation programme and set Singapore on the path of sustained development and prosperity. As Defence Minister, he introduced national service and built up the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from scratch. As Education Minister, he totally restructured the education system, from primary schools to the universities.

In addition to the SAF, Dr Goh created and nurtured many institutions, including the Economic Development Board (EDB), Jurong Town Corporation (now called JTC Corporation), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Govern ment of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), which have endured and become distinctive features of Singapore’s structure of government. He also set out the key principles guiding many of our policies, always in pellucid and magisterial prose. The fundamental tenets of thrift and hard work, free enterprise and prudent public finance, and harmonious industrial relations continue to form the bedrock of Singapore’s competitive strengths and success.

For Dr Goh, success meant more than leaving poverty behind. He believed that for a nation to grow in confidence and resilience, it needed spirit and soul. Hence he conceived and launched projects like the Jurong Bird Park, the Singapore Zoological Garden, the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, for Singaporeans to relax, unwind, and develop an appreciation for the finer things in life.

In every organisation he headed, Dr Goh nurtured a culture of continuous adaptation and improvement to stay abreast of the changing world. He set high standards, and groomed and trained young officers to meet his exacting requirements.

Dr Goh strongly supported leadership renewal, a continuing imperative for Singapore. He actively pushed for the transition from the founding generation to a new, younger team of leaders who would lead Singapore to greater heights of achievement. In 1984, he himself requested to step down from Cabinet, though he remained active in many other roles, both in Singapore and abroad. What he created has endured, and become the foundation for succeeding generations to build and improve upon. However Singapore has progressed and transformed itself since Dr Goh retired, it still bears the imprint of the master builder of modern Singapore.

With my deepest sympathies,

LEE HSIEN LOONG