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I was at Parliament house to pay my last respects to Dr Goh together with millions of other Singaporeans and was really touched by the wide public outpouring of love, gratitude and respect for Dr Goh Keng Swee.
Dr Goh was the able assistant to our great founding father SM Lee Kuan Yew. Dr Goh was like the butler Alfred to LKY's Batman. Dr Goh has contributed greatly to our nation building.
On the otherhand, I can vividly remember Ong TC's death was greeted by general indifference among the populace. Mr Ong infuriated many Singaporeans with his obsession to money. All he did during his unpopular term as President was to ask "Show me the money!" even though he knew that it would take 50 man years to get the exact amount of reserves Singapore has. He did little else besides asking irrelevant question. History will erase this unpopular man from the annals of Singapore.
Ordinary Singaporeans share personal memories of the late Dr Goh
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 21 May 2010 2301 hrs
SINGAPORE : Over 7,000 people streamed into Parliament House on Friday to pay their last respects to former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee.
It is the second day his body is lying in state.
Among the 7,198 visitors were those whose lives had been touched by him.
In the main hall of Parliament House, five ceremonial guards stand vigil around the casket of Dr Goh.
For commander Foong Kok Pun, it is a role that brings on strong emotions. LTC Foong, who is the Commanding Officer of the Underwater Demolition Group at the Singapore Navy, said: "It is a true honour, to be able to do this small little thing for him.
"When the public comes and pays their last respects, and you can see some of the public sincerely, really coming all the way to pay their sincere respects, that touches me. It makes me very proud to be a Singaporean."
LTC Foong added: "In all my 19 years in the armed forces, there are some touchpoints where you come across him. Not in a personal way, but some of the speeches he made when he was defence minister, offer us a lot of leadership lessons."
One speech in particular left a strong impression. Called "Real Solutions Versus Bogus Solutions", the 1975 speech called on officers to "challenge assumptions, so that as a leader, you carry out tasks meaningfully, and not for the sake of doing". These words still hold true for LTC Foong today, who said that his role as a vigil guard allows him to reflect on them, especially "when I can actually see him".
Outside, under the hot sun, the queue snakes across the front lawn.
One person said: "I have been waiting here for more than an hour, but I think it is okay, so long as I get to pay my last respects to him."
Another commented: "I feel it is my duty to pay respects to him. He has done a lot for Singapore."
Another person who had waited in line was Associate Professor Chris Hudson from RMIT University in Melbourne. She is in Singapore for five days for the Singapore Arts Festival, and said: "Because I study Singapore, I understand the importance of Dr Goh role in the economic development of Singapore.
"I have read his work, and I have always been impressed, so I decided to pay my respects".
To many of those who waited to get in, Dr Goh was just a name, a larger-than-life figure who they had only read about in books, or heard of in the news.
But for some ordinary Singaporeans who had previously met the man, it would be an encounter they would not easily forget.
One of them is 80-year-old Jolly Tan, who received help from Dr Goh in securing a three-room flat in Marine Parade decades ago. During that time, she and her family were living in a rented two-room unit in Tanglin Halt.
She said: "At the time, getting a flat was difficult. It has been nearly 40 years. I am 80, with many grandchildren. I have not seen him in over 30 years. This is the second time I am seeing him, and he has gone to Heaven."
Among those who paid their last respects were members of the Darussalam Mosque. One of them said: "What we believe in the mosque is that he has left a lasting impression through the generations, and we are here to respect that, and to remember him."
For 24-year-old Jansen Tan, a student at the LASALLE College of the Arts, it was Dr Goh's policies that laid the foundation that allowed him to pursue an arts education.
He said: "Just like what he said, he is not a dreamer. But he gave us the space and the chance to dream."
Earlier in the day, about 400 Home Team officers also bade farewell with a sharp salute.
They were led by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, Law and Second Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, and Senior Minister of State Ho Peng Kee.
Members of the public have until 6pm on Saturday to pay their last respects.
The body of Dr Goh will be moved to the Singapore Conference Hall for the state funeral on Sunday afternoon.
The funeral will begin at 2.30pm. - CNA/ms
Dr Goh was the able assistant to our great founding father SM Lee Kuan Yew. Dr Goh was like the butler Alfred to LKY's Batman. Dr Goh has contributed greatly to our nation building.
On the otherhand, I can vividly remember Ong TC's death was greeted by general indifference among the populace. Mr Ong infuriated many Singaporeans with his obsession to money. All he did during his unpopular term as President was to ask "Show me the money!" even though he knew that it would take 50 man years to get the exact amount of reserves Singapore has. He did little else besides asking irrelevant question. History will erase this unpopular man from the annals of Singapore.
Ordinary Singaporeans share personal memories of the late Dr Goh
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 21 May 2010 2301 hrs
SINGAPORE : Over 7,000 people streamed into Parliament House on Friday to pay their last respects to former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee.
It is the second day his body is lying in state.
Among the 7,198 visitors were those whose lives had been touched by him.
In the main hall of Parliament House, five ceremonial guards stand vigil around the casket of Dr Goh.
For commander Foong Kok Pun, it is a role that brings on strong emotions. LTC Foong, who is the Commanding Officer of the Underwater Demolition Group at the Singapore Navy, said: "It is a true honour, to be able to do this small little thing for him.
"When the public comes and pays their last respects, and you can see some of the public sincerely, really coming all the way to pay their sincere respects, that touches me. It makes me very proud to be a Singaporean."
LTC Foong added: "In all my 19 years in the armed forces, there are some touchpoints where you come across him. Not in a personal way, but some of the speeches he made when he was defence minister, offer us a lot of leadership lessons."
One speech in particular left a strong impression. Called "Real Solutions Versus Bogus Solutions", the 1975 speech called on officers to "challenge assumptions, so that as a leader, you carry out tasks meaningfully, and not for the sake of doing". These words still hold true for LTC Foong today, who said that his role as a vigil guard allows him to reflect on them, especially "when I can actually see him".
Outside, under the hot sun, the queue snakes across the front lawn.
One person said: "I have been waiting here for more than an hour, but I think it is okay, so long as I get to pay my last respects to him."
Another commented: "I feel it is my duty to pay respects to him. He has done a lot for Singapore."
Another person who had waited in line was Associate Professor Chris Hudson from RMIT University in Melbourne. She is in Singapore for five days for the Singapore Arts Festival, and said: "Because I study Singapore, I understand the importance of Dr Goh role in the economic development of Singapore.
"I have read his work, and I have always been impressed, so I decided to pay my respects".
To many of those who waited to get in, Dr Goh was just a name, a larger-than-life figure who they had only read about in books, or heard of in the news.
But for some ordinary Singaporeans who had previously met the man, it would be an encounter they would not easily forget.
One of them is 80-year-old Jolly Tan, who received help from Dr Goh in securing a three-room flat in Marine Parade decades ago. During that time, she and her family were living in a rented two-room unit in Tanglin Halt.
She said: "At the time, getting a flat was difficult. It has been nearly 40 years. I am 80, with many grandchildren. I have not seen him in over 30 years. This is the second time I am seeing him, and he has gone to Heaven."
Among those who paid their last respects were members of the Darussalam Mosque. One of them said: "What we believe in the mosque is that he has left a lasting impression through the generations, and we are here to respect that, and to remember him."
For 24-year-old Jansen Tan, a student at the LASALLE College of the Arts, it was Dr Goh's policies that laid the foundation that allowed him to pursue an arts education.
He said: "Just like what he said, he is not a dreamer. But he gave us the space and the chance to dream."
Earlier in the day, about 400 Home Team officers also bade farewell with a sharp salute.
They were led by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, Law and Second Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, and Senior Minister of State Ho Peng Kee.
Members of the public have until 6pm on Saturday to pay their last respects.
The body of Dr Goh will be moved to the Singapore Conference Hall for the state funeral on Sunday afternoon.
The funeral will begin at 2.30pm. - CNA/ms
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