Goh Keng Swee 
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Dummipedia, the simplified free online encyclopedia
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| Goh Keng Swee | |
| 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
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| In office 1973 – 1985 | |
| President | Devan Nair |
| Deputy | Lee Kuan Yew |
| Preceded by | Toh Chin Chye |
| Succeeded by | S. Rajaratnam |
Member of Parliament
for Kreta Ayer | |
| In office 1959 – 1984 | |
| Succeeded by | Hu Tsu Tau Richard |
| Born | October 6, 1918 Melaka |
| Alma mater | • London School of Economics (LSE) • University of London |
| Spouse | • Alice Woon (married 1942) • Phua Swee Liang (married 1985) |
| Children | 1 son |
| Parents | Goh Leng Inn and Tan Swee |
Goh Keng Swee (born 1918, age 91) was the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. A first-generation leader of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), he oversaw Singapore's attainment of independence, the creation of the Singapore Armed Forces, the start of National Service, and the establishment of the Jurong Industrial Estate.
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2. Born in Melaka, Goh joined the Singapore Civil Service after graduating from Raffles College with a Diploma in Arts. His outstanding performance in the civil service earned him a scholarship to study at the London School of Economics (LSE) where he obtained a First Class Honours in Economics in 1951. Awarded a scholarship that year to pursue his doctoral studies, he graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Economics from the University of London in 1954.
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3. During his stay in London, Goh started the Malayan Forum, a student discussion group seeking independence for Malaya, together with a group of fellow students which included Lee Kuan Yew and Toh Chin Chye. After his return to Singapore, he worked again for the Social Welfare Department. In 1959, Goh resigned from the civil service to join the People's Action Party (PAP) as its Vice-Chairman and represented the Kreta Ayer constituency as its Member of Parliament until his retirement from politics in 1984. He was appointed Minister of Finance that very year in 1959 and in this role, assumed stewardship of Singapore's economy, serving as the chief architect of the country's economic development until 1965.
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4. In 1963, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaysia. Merger, however, proved problematic for the Singaporean leaders as there was a clash of fundamental principles, both political and economic, notably on the issue of Malay dominance. Goh played a crucial role in orchestrating the subsequent secession of Singapore from the Federation and upon independence in August 1965, he became the Minister for the Interior and Defence, assuming responsibilities for strengthening Singapore's military and domestic security. In 1967, Goh was reappointed Minister of Finance until 1970, whereupon he was reappointed Minister of Defence.
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5. In March 1973, Goh was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, concurrently holding the Education Ministry portfolio between 1979 and 1985, with his Goh Report greatly influencing the development of Singapore's education system. In June 1980, he was reassigned as First Deputy Prime Minister and appointed Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), holding both positions until December 1984 when he retired from politics, due to personal reasons. Goh, however, continued to serve as the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), a position he was appointed to in 1981 until his resignation in 1994. In 1985, he was appointed Deputy Chairman of MAS (1985 - 1992) and the Economic Adviser to the State Council of the People's Republic of China on coastal development, as well as advisor on tourism. Goh subsequently went on to hold other high-level positions in the private sector. It is currently believed that Goh, approaching the age of 90, is in extremely poor health. more... at Wikipedia
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