Dr Goh Keng Swee's contributions

Dr Goh Keng Swee is the second Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore.


He was also the Minister for Education, 3rd Minister for Defence, 3rd Minister for Finance, 1st Minister for the Interior and Defence and 1st Minister for Finance.


Dr Goh was  a key member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee, and later became its vice-chairman.


He initiated the setting up of the Economic Development Board which was established in August 1961.


The next year, he started the development of the Jurong industrial estate on the western end of the island which was then a swamp, offering incentives to local and foreign business to locate there.


 Goh admitted that the Jurong project was "an act of faith and he himself jokingly said that this could prove to be Goh's folly". Nonetheless, Goh also felt strongly that "the only way to avoid making mistakes is not to do anything. And that ... will be the ultimate mistake.


There was a clash of fundamental principles, both political and economic, notably on the issue of Malay dominance, communitarian violence in 1964 was inflamed in Singapore by Malay and Chinese activists Dr. Goh played a crucial role in orchestrating the subsequent secession of Singapore from the Federation on 9 August 1965. 


Upon independence in 1965, Dr. Goh became Minister for the Interior and Defence until 16 August 1967, assuming responsibilities for strengthening Singapore's military and domestic security capabilities.


Goh encouraged the establishment of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in 1968, and on 11 August 1970 he was reappointed Minister for Defence. 


In 1971, he put together the Electronic Warfare Study Group, a team of newly graduated engineers who had excelled in their university studies which was headed by Dr. Tay Eng Soon, a university lecturer.


Goh was also responsible for projects that sought to improve Singaporeans' cultural and leisure life, such as the Jurong Bird Park, the Singapore Zoo and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.


 He backed the construction of the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre in his constituency as a venue for Chinese opera performances. He was also instrumental in introducing rugby in the Singapore Armed Forces and later in schools.


Impressed by an oceanarium in the Bahamas, he contacted the Sentosa Development Corporation and convinced them to have one. Underwater World Singapore opened in 1991.


On 12 February 1979, Goh moved on from the Defence Ministry to the Ministry of Education, where his Goh Report greatly influenced the development of Singapore's education system.


He set up the Curriculum Development Institute, and introduced key policies such as religious education (subsequently discontinued) and, in 1980, the channelling of students into different programmes of study according to their learning abilities, known as "streaming".