Early years of Goh Keng Swees non-political

leaders
After graduating from Raffles College in 1939 with a Class II Diploma in Arts with
a special distinction in economics, Goh Keng Swee then joined the colonial Civil
Service as a tax collector with the War Tax Department. Shortly after the start of
World War II, he joined the Singapore Volunteer Corps, a local militia, but
returned to his previous work after the fall of Singapore. Goh keng Swee married
Alice Woon, a secretary who was his colleague, in 1942 and they had their only
child, Goh Kian Chee, two years later. In 1945 he relocated his young family to
Malacca, but they returned to Singapore the following year after the Japanese
occupation ended. That year, he joined the Department of Social Welfare, and
was active in post-war administration. He became supervisor of the
Department's Research Section six months later.
Goh Keng Swee then won a scholarship which enabled him to further his studies
at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). During his time in
London, Goh Keng Swee met fellow students seeking independence for British
Malaya, including Abdul Razak (later Malaysia's second Prime Minister), Maurice
Baker (subsequently Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia), Lee Kuan Yew
and Toh Chin Chye. A student discussion group, the Malayan Forum, was
organized in 1948 with Goh Keng Swee as the founding chairman. Goh Keng
Swee then graduated with first class honours in economics in 1951, and won the
William Farr Prize for achieving the highest marks in statistics. Upon his return to
the Department of Social Welfare, he was appointed assistant secretary of its
Research Section. In 1952, together with fellow civil servant Kenneth M. Byrne,
he formed the Council of Joint Action to lobby against salary and promotion
policies that favoured Caucasians over Asians.
In 1954, Goh Keng Swee was able to return to LSE for doctoral studies with the
help of a University of London scholarship. He completed his Ph.D. in Economics
in 1956, and returned to the Department of Social Welfare, where he served as
Assistant Director and then Director. In 1958 he was made Director of the Social
and Economic Research Division in the Chief Minister's Office. He resigned from
the civil service in August that year to work full-time for the People's Action Party
(PAP).

Goh Keng Swees political career

Goh Keng Swee was a key member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee,
and later became its vice-chairman. Goh Keng Swee successfully contested the
Kreta Ayer seat in the 1959 general election and then was elected to the
Legislative Assembly on 30 May. Goh Keng Swee joined the first government of
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew as Minister for Finance. In this role, he was in charge
of taking care of Singapore's economy. As a budget deficit of S$14 million was
forecast that year, he introduced cuts, which including cutting civil service

salaries. As a result of these measures, he was able to announce at the end of

the year that the Government had achieved a surplus of $1 million.
The talented Goh Keng Swee initiated the setting up of the Economic
Development Board which was established in August 1961 to attract foreign
multinational corporations to invest in Singapore. This was especially important
as it ensured that Singapores economy continued to grow through foreign
investment. 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. According to former
Permanent Secretary Sim Kee Boon, 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."
In 1965, when Singapore attained total independence, Goh Keng Swee saw the
need for a small and young nation to defend itself with a strong defence force.
Therefore, he implemented compulsory national service for all male
Singaporeans above 18 years old.
During his term as Minister of Education, the importance of curriculum
development in the education system made him set up the Curriculum
Development Institute. To decrease the high dropout rates, he introduced
streaming in 1980 to allow students to learn at their own pace within their own
capabilities.
When he was appointed chairman of MAS and the Board of Commissioner of
Currency in 1980, he took measures to promote Singapore as an international
financial centre. During the 1985 recession, he acted swiftly to stop the
downward slide of the Singapore dollar.
In the early years of Chinas economic reform programme, the Chinese central
government sought his expertise and appointed him as its economic adviser on
coastal development and tourism in 1985. He was the first foreigner to be
appointed to such a role.
In 1985, the Singapore government awarded him the prestigious Order of
Temasek (First Class) for his contributions in the nations development.