http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/...a-quiet-rebel-called-goh-chok-tong--pn-balji-
"Lee’s distate for India has been well documented. He considered the South Asian giant a lumbering and bickering elephant sacrificing economic growth for noisy democratic ideals."
The Malaysian Insider, 6 Aug 2009
A quiet rebel called Goh Chok Tong – PN Balji
AUG 6 – First, the obvious. During his 14 years as PM, Goh Chok Tong became a very well-liked politician. And, arguably, the most popular one from Singapore.
How did that come about, especially when the odds were stacked against a deputy who was not his boss’ first choice to take over, a rising leader who was vilified publicly for his “wooden” personality and a man many considered to be a seat warmer?
Now, the not so obvious. His most notable achievement as PM was his ability to move Singapore away from one of the most-jealously guarded philosophies of Lee Kuan Yew and his “Old Order” welfarism.
Just three weeks into his administration, Goh was already announcing plans for a $5 billion fund to give handouts to students who could use the money for enrichment activities.
Over the years in office, he also introduced other semi-welfare measures like Medifund and Medisave top-ups and upgrading of HDB flats. Even bolder was the giving of money in the form of shares to Singaporeans in 2001.
The philosophy of these moves, especially the last one, was a stark departure from the “Pay and Pay” culture that the PAP has often been mocked for.
With the intellectual weight, political might and national track record of a man like Lee hovering over this island state, how did Goh become his own man?
A long-time friend of his said: “Many people don’t know the real Chok Tong. He is a quiet achiever. Behind that personable exterior is a rebel, one who builds his case persuasively and wins over people with his sincerity.”
In foreign affairs, the quiet rebel popped up again. He stepped out of Lee’s shadow and developed a special relationship with India.
Lee’s distate for India has been well documented. He considered the South Asian giant a lumbering and bickering elephant sacrificing economic growth for noisy democratic ideals.
At a time when China was the flavour of the day, Goh gambled on India, saying that he wanted to create an Indian fever in Singapore.
The Indian gamble turned out to be a sweet bet for Goh, with Lee acknowledging in 2005: “I will have to change my views on India in my memoirs.’’
There were a couple of disappointments, though. One local, the other foreign.
Just a year into his prime ministership, Goh wanted to test his leadership’s popularity with the electorate. But during the elections in that year, his party lost two more seats and the share of votes dipped to 61 per cent, the ruling party’s worst performance since the early 1960s.
In foreign relations, Goh’s exuberance in rushing into a fresh start with Malaysia crashed, with relations between the two neighbouring hitting new depths of acrimony and mistrust.
Leave these setbacks aside and Goh shines as a politician who has left behind a social compact that even his successor has institutionalised.
You need not look further than the workfare and jobs credit schemes that Lee Hsien Loong have introduced in the last five years as Singapore’s third PM.
The genesis of these moves goes back to the Goh Chok Tong era. The former PM not only introduced welfarism, Singapore style, he also entrenched it. And he did it in his own quiet way.
* PN Balji is a veteran Singapore journalist. He is now director of Asia Journalism Fellowship. It is an initiative of Temasek Foundation and Nanyang Technological University.
------------------------------
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"Lee’s distate for India has been well documented. He considered the South Asian giant a lumbering and bickering elephant sacrificing economic growth for noisy democratic ideals."
The Malaysian Insider, 6 Aug 2009
A quiet rebel called Goh Chok Tong – PN Balji
AUG 6 – First, the obvious. During his 14 years as PM, Goh Chok Tong became a very well-liked politician. And, arguably, the most popular one from Singapore.
How did that come about, especially when the odds were stacked against a deputy who was not his boss’ first choice to take over, a rising leader who was vilified publicly for his “wooden” personality and a man many considered to be a seat warmer?
Now, the not so obvious. His most notable achievement as PM was his ability to move Singapore away from one of the most-jealously guarded philosophies of Lee Kuan Yew and his “Old Order” welfarism.
Just three weeks into his administration, Goh was already announcing plans for a $5 billion fund to give handouts to students who could use the money for enrichment activities.
Over the years in office, he also introduced other semi-welfare measures like Medifund and Medisave top-ups and upgrading of HDB flats. Even bolder was the giving of money in the form of shares to Singaporeans in 2001.
The philosophy of these moves, especially the last one, was a stark departure from the “Pay and Pay” culture that the PAP has often been mocked for.
With the intellectual weight, political might and national track record of a man like Lee hovering over this island state, how did Goh become his own man?
A long-time friend of his said: “Many people don’t know the real Chok Tong. He is a quiet achiever. Behind that personable exterior is a rebel, one who builds his case persuasively and wins over people with his sincerity.”
In foreign affairs, the quiet rebel popped up again. He stepped out of Lee’s shadow and developed a special relationship with India.
Lee’s distate for India has been well documented. He considered the South Asian giant a lumbering and bickering elephant sacrificing economic growth for noisy democratic ideals.
At a time when China was the flavour of the day, Goh gambled on India, saying that he wanted to create an Indian fever in Singapore.
The Indian gamble turned out to be a sweet bet for Goh, with Lee acknowledging in 2005: “I will have to change my views on India in my memoirs.’’
There were a couple of disappointments, though. One local, the other foreign.
Just a year into his prime ministership, Goh wanted to test his leadership’s popularity with the electorate. But during the elections in that year, his party lost two more seats and the share of votes dipped to 61 per cent, the ruling party’s worst performance since the early 1960s.
In foreign relations, Goh’s exuberance in rushing into a fresh start with Malaysia crashed, with relations between the two neighbouring hitting new depths of acrimony and mistrust.
Leave these setbacks aside and Goh shines as a politician who has left behind a social compact that even his successor has institutionalised.
You need not look further than the workfare and jobs credit schemes that Lee Hsien Loong have introduced in the last five years as Singapore’s third PM.
The genesis of these moves goes back to the Goh Chok Tong era. The former PM not only introduced welfarism, Singapore style, he also entrenched it. And he did it in his own quiet way.
* PN Balji is a veteran Singapore journalist. He is now director of Asia Journalism Fellowship. It is an initiative of Temasek Foundation and Nanyang Technological University.
------------------------------
Latest updates at Singapore News Alternative:
1. A quiet rebel called Goh Chok Tong – PN Balji
2. S. Iswaran: Singapore needs to seize new growth opportunities
3. Solar Powered Base Station Trial in Singapore
4. H1N1 Flu Claims Two More Lives In Singapore
5. Singapore says economy still shaky despite growth
6. Temasek's Singapore Telemedia raises bid for Eircom Holdings from A$170 Mil to A$230 Mil
7. Temasek's FountainVest Partners Pumped US$99 Million Into Central China Real Estate
8. S'pore Gov Give Out 32 University Scholarships To Foreign Students From ASEAN
9. SingTel prepping for prepaid mobile broadband?
10. More Singapore girls under 14 having sex
11. Lim Hng Kiang: too early to say exports stable
12. NTUC FairPrice debuts on Facebook with more than 3,000 fans
13. Resorts World at Sentosa joins the people’s association corporate partnership scheme
14. Singapore's NOL Q2 loss $146.2 mln, sees FY loss
.
