Goh Chok Tong

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Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean politician.

On November 28, 1990, Lee Kuan Yew became the second Prime Minister of Singapore (PAP) and was replaced by Lee Hsien Loong.

He served as Senior Minister until May 2011 and as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

He continues to act as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency and holds the honorary title "Emeritus Senior Minister" in honor.

He published Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, his autobiography, in November 2018, the first volume of a two-part biography.

Early life and education

Goh Choon and Quah Kwee Hwa, who hailed from China's Minnan province, were born in Singapore on May 20, 1941. He has ancestry in China. Goh studied at the Raffles Institution from 1955 to 1960. In his younger days, he was a keen swimmer and was given the nickname "bold."

Goh obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Singapore and a Masters of Arts in economic growth from Williams College in 1967.

Goh returned to Singapore to work in the government after his graduation. Goh's dream of getting a PhD was jeopardized because the government would not transfer his bursary fund to the university, where he had joined as a research fellow after graduating.

Goh's alma mater, the National University of Singapore, was granted an honourary Doctor of Laws degree in 2015 for his contributions to the country.

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Career

Goh was seconded to Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) as the company's Planning and Projects Manager in 1969. His career progressed quickly, and by 1973, he was the Managing Director. Muhammad Jalaluddin Sayeed, the company's founder, had close ties with the firm, who maintained close ties at NOL.

Political career

Goh, then 35, was elected as a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade SMC as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate in 1976 general election. He was named as a Senior Minister of State. He was named Minister of Trade and Industry in 1981 and later served in other positions, including Minister for Health and Minister for Defense.

By-election, Goh was hired to organise the 1981 Anson SMC, a pivotal event in shaping his political sensibilities. Despite being handed over by Tony Tan as the first assistant general, Goh was unexpectedly compelled by Lee Kuan Yew to lead and orchestrate the by-election, which was ostensibly because of Goh's victory in arranging the 1979 general elections in Anson SMC and the 1980 General Elections. Anson SMC's 1981 by-election discovered a chasm of leadership as volunteers and elder supporters for the previous MP Devan Nair also departed with the MP early in the campaign. Pang Kim Hin, the nephew of Old Guard Minister Lim Kan San, had trouble finding the PAP candidate as he had the reputation of being a "rich man's son." Despite being a three-cornered contest, it was evident that the leading opposition candidate was J. Donnelly. B. Jeyaretnam, who was a veteran opposition at the time, was close to winning the seat at Telok Blangah, which is close to Anson. The increasing cost of living and the new public bus fares was a source of unhappiness among voters. PAP lost the Anson seat by 37 points in less than ten months after the last General Election, marking the first time since Independence that the PAP has lost a seat. According to reports in the PAP, this watershed event sparked rumors that Goh's political career was coming to an end. Although Lee Kuan Yew was concerned that Goh would lack the political sensitivity of the ground, he did not worry about the seat's disappearance and remained overconfident until very close to Polling day, he did not blame Goh for the loss, but he did not blame Goh for the loss, not because he reflected it in his book: From Third World to First.

Goh became Deputy Prime Minister in 1985 and began to take over the government's leadership role in a carefully orchestrated leadership change. Tony Tan was Lee Kuan Yew's chosen replacement, according to Lee Kuan Yew. However, Goh was selected by the second generation of PAP leaders, which included Tony Tan and Ong Teng Cheong; Lee accepted their appointment. 114–116 However, Lee Kuan Yew publicly discussed his chosen successor to the country in 1988 - ranking Goh second behind Tony Tan, and criticizing his 'faster' approach to leadership, criticized his indecisiveness and softer, consultative approach to leadership. As Goh recalls this incident in his memoirs, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, he became embarrassed and flabbergasted.

Goh became Singapore's second Prime Minister on November 28, 1990, replacing Lee Kuan Yew. Lee remained as PAP secretary general during Goh's first year as prime minister. Lee also served as a key figure in Goh's Cabinet, holding the post of Senior Minister. The 1991 general elections, the first electoral vote for Goh, culminated in the party winning 61% of the popular vote, which is the all-time low for PAP since independence. Goh must silence international reports regarding his potential resignation as a result of the decrease in the number of the popular vote and the loss of four seats in Parliament to the opposition. Lee was given the role of Secretary General of the People's Action Party (PAP) to Goh in 1992, completing the leadership transition.

Both Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Ong Teng Cheong were diagnosed with cancer in 1992, prompting him to call a general election in his own constituency of Marine Parade, just over a year after the 1991 General Elections, citing the need for 'political self-renewal' and finding'ministerial calibre' people to join the government. Teo Chee Hean, who is currently one of PAP and Senior Minister Stephen Gray's top leaders, was one of the new candidates voted in by-election.

Goh, the Prime Minister, promised a more open-minded and consultative style of leadership as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom than that of his predecessor. For instance, in his support for the emergence of "little bohemias" in Singapore, enclaves where more creativity and entrepreneurship could flourish, this greater openness extended to the socioeconomic spheres of life.

Several key policy and research institutions were introduced by Goh's government, including:: Several new programs and policy organizations.

During Goh's reign, Singapore faced several crises, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis, terrorism risks, including the 2001 Singapore embassies attack plan by Jemah Islamiyah, the 2001-2003 economic recession, and the 2003 SARS outbreak.

Goh's office, which was denied access to Bill Clinton's White House, did not discourage Goh from reaching out to the US president to propose a free trade deal (FTA) between Singapore and the United States because he did not believe Clinton was aware of the diplomatic freeze. Goh reached out to President Clinton during the 1997 APEC summit, where he played golf with President Bill Clinton, breaking the diplomatic freeze. Goh attended a meeting with President Clinton in the White House on September 1998 and decided to support the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), which helped to foster strong links between the two countries. As many trade talks as part of "The Millennium Round" have failed (1999 Seattle WTO demonstrations and Doha Round) collapsed, the significant improvement in this bilateral relationship had a major effect on Singapore's economic recovery from the Asian Financial Crisis. At the time when international trade was three times larger than Singapore's GDP, gaining trade agreements was critical to Singapore's economic longevity, with the US being Singapore's most coveted trading partner. Goh personally reached out to President Clinton during the annual summit in Brunei in November 2000, near the end of Clinton's second term as president. Goh was able to convince Clinton on a Singapore-USA FTA after a midnight golf session with Clinton after the banquet, with Clinton recommending a Singapore-USA FTA similar to the US-Jordan FTA. The FTA with the United States was eventually signed in 2003, marking the first FTA with a Asian nation, with Goh lauding this FTA as the "crown jewel" of Singapore's international trade.

Singapore also signed an FTA with Japan in 2002, under Goh's leadership, with Japan strengthening her trade relations with ASEAN in 2008, when ASEAN declared a FTA with ASEAN.

Goh, the PAP's Secretary-General, led the party to three general elections in 1991, 1997, and 2001, in which the party received 61%, 69%, and 75% of the vote respectively. Goh said in 2001 that after leading the country out of recession, he would step down as Prime Minister.

During a Time magazine interview in July 2003, Goh shocked Singaporeans by announcing that his government was openly employing homosexuals, even in dangerous positions, despite homosexual conduct remaining unlawful under Section 377A of the Penal Code. Despite the fact that his statement provoked a lot of backlash from conservatives, it nevertheless boosted his reputation as an open-minded king.

On August 12, 2004, Goh resigned as Prime Minister and assumed a new position as Senior Minister in the Cabinet of his replacement, Lee Hsien Loong. Goh took over as Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore on August 20, 2004. Goh met with local Muslim religious leaders in 2004 and went to Iran, where he met Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and visited local mosques.

Goh continued to visit other Middle Eastern countries as Senior Minister with the intention of strengthening diplomatic relations and therefore increasing market opportunities for Singaporean companies, particularly in the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait.

"For eminent service to Australia-Singapore relations," Goh received an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian award."

On a visit to Israel in 2005, Goh signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which superseded the 1971 deal that was signed in 1971. The agreement's changes include increases to the withholding tax rate on interest income, which was reduced from 15% to 7%. This will benefit Singaporean businessmen and vice versa by ensuring they are not taxed twice.

Goh is a sponsor of the Institute of Policy Studies, a government think tank.

Goh was elected to help the PAP regain control of Hougang and Potong Pasir in the 2006 general election. However, he was unsuccessful in this mission because Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong retained their respective wards.

Goh was briefly considered for the position of United Nations Secretary-General in 2006, but he was turned down and the position was eventually moved to Ban Ki-moon.

Goh was invited to join the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government, a non-governmental body of former world leaders in 2008.

Goh revealed on January 24 that he would seek re-election to Parliament at the 2011 general election. He gradually released snippets ahead of the election on the importance of grooming a successor who may be a member of the fourth generation PAP leadership to lead Marine Parade GRC in the long run.

Goh and Lee Kuan Yew, the opposition's former prime minister, announced their resignation from the Cabinet in order to give Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the rest of his staff a clean slate from which they can get off to a fresh start in the new parliamentary term.

Goh is set to be appointed a senior advisor to Singapore's Monetary Authority, according to Lee Hsien Loong, and will be given the honorary title "Emeritus Senior Minister."

The Japanese government gave Goh the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun on June 24th.

Goh was appointed Patron for Advancement of the Singapore University of Technology and Design on May 4th, 2012.

The Madame Tussauds Singapore museum unveiled a wax figure of Goh in October 2014. Gohposed for pictures with his statue at its unveiling.

Goh said on August 2nd that ministerial compensation is not sufficient and that it will adversely affect the ability to recruit competent people to join the government in the future. He also dismissed the prospect of lowering the minister's salary as a populist measure, a step that sparked controversy and public disapproval.

In 2018, Goh's first volume, called Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, was published. Goh's life from his childhood to his appointment as Singapore's second prime minister in 1990.

Goh said in an interview in 2019 that a 75% to 80% majority in Parliament, if they were to return, would be a "strong mandate" for the Singapore government. In the same interview, he said that he does not think the electoral system needs to be changed any further.

Goh wrote a Facebook post on August 4th that he was saddened by how his long-time friend, former PAP politician Tan Cheng Bock, had "lost his way" by establishing a new political group, Progress Singapore Party (PSP), campaigned in the forthcoming general election.

Goh announced on Facebook that he would no longer serve as a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC after 44 years of service and will therefore refrain from politics.

Following the removal of a lump in his larynx in order to ensure that no cancer cells are destroyed, Goh said in his Facebook post in December 2020 that he would be receiving four weeks of radiotherapy. It was the latest in a line of health scares faced by Mr Goh in recent years.

Standing Tall: Goh Chok Tong Years was his second volume in his biography, as well as his 80th birthday in April 2021. Goh was Prime Minister of Singapore for 14 years, according to the sequel.

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