Breaking News: Goh Keng Swee Dies ...

[Ramseth]

Yes, Goh Keng Swee introduced NS. He had the moral authority. In 2nd World War, he joined the Volunteer Corps. His was a foot soldier and highest rank attained was only Corporal (but same as Adolf Hitler no less). At least better than Japanese translators.

Under GKS, NS was all about 2 years full-time and reservist was purely for refreshment training once a year. sometimes even less frequent depending on unit, usually all over by early 30s (though the law stated 40 for other ranks and 50 for officers). There was no such thing as ORD, annual IPPT, RT and mobilisation.

It was during Yeo Ning Hong time as defence minister in the 80s that all those changed. Full paid regulars become strategic reserves and NS reservists became supposedly frontline regular backbone of the army. That provided the numbers to promote many to colonel and brigadier ranks, notably you know who. Why the need to promote so many to high ranks? Of course, the scholarship and political system.

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

btw how did you remove the official 'national heritage' watermark from all the old archives photos .... AWESOME ! look so much better without the marks ....

Er.. I did nothing of that as there wasn't any watermark in the first place. You have to thank the national heritage board.

 

[manokie]

Why the fuck GKS created NS?

We are not in a war zone like Israel and South Korea.. or even like Taiwan..

 

[elephanto]

Er.. I did nothing of that as there wasn't any watermark in the first place. You have to thank the national heritage board.

ha ha i got what chew mean ... u got them from ST online ... I think St got permission to remove watermark beforehand ....

 

[Papsmearer]

I don't know what cock bullshit you talking about. U want to know what the "personal reasons" are? He had fallen in love with his long time personal secretary and decided to divorce his wife and marry/live with the secretary. (Dr Pang, the MOE language expert he had fallen in love with is hardly his 'personal secretary', he has the balls to divorce his wife & be with the person he loved for the autumn of his life, to hell with LKY !) As Harry considers this sort of infidelity in a poor light, he was banished (banished ?! None other than Deng Xiao Ping invited him after he left Spore Govt to be economics advisor to coastal cities - a post he served for 6 years until 1991 when he tendered resignation due to old age) to China to serve as an "economic advisor" to China, along with his secretary. That was why he was away from S'pore even during the Asian crisis of 1987( hello, Asian financial crisis 1997 not 1987) . Nobody quits politics in S'pore, if you don't know this by now. Politicians get recycled all the time and all over the place. Just look at Lau Goh, and Con You. The only way you leave politics in S'pore at his level is either Con You tell you to fuck off, or you die( compared to Raja, Goh dared to stand up to Lee more .... I know you are Papsmearer, but fats are fats....)

Please lah, only a pathetic small mind like yours considers small things like divorcing your wife "standing up to Lee Kuan Yew". If he really had or wanted to stand up to Lee Kuan Yew, HE SHOULD HAVE WROTE A FUCKING BOOK, like Francis Seow. He knows enough skeletons in Con YOu's closet. He knew the direction this damn dictator was taking the country, and he quietly let it happen. He is no better than them. Just a gutless guy who helped screw up the country and than relax among his riches in his later years. Why don't u just admit that he knew nothing but theory about economics, and if not for Winsemius, this so call economic miracle will not happen.

If you really think Deng Xiao Peng got so much time as to invite GKS personally, than I have to say you are really gullible. U need to stop reading the PAP exaggerated press (or your own press). Only the PAP tells everyone that Deng ask for Goh, because they think the Chinese think highly of them. The Chinese will tell you that the guy in charged of the proposed 4 Chinese economic trade zone State Councillor Gu MU is the one that hired Goh. They will tell you Deng don't have time to deal with these kuching kurak things.

U say I don't have the facts, u are the one that is lacking. Have you heard of Black Monday? Oct. 1987? Want me to refresh your memory with a real fact that u appear ignorant about? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Monday_(1987) Stock markets around the world crashed starting in HK. S'pore was badly hit. Only a fool can forget that. Maybe you were not born yet. I think that is the only excuse u can use. In the midst of this serious economic crisis, where was one of the supposed architect of S'pore's economic success? Where was the man that Deng supposedly asked for economic advise? Was he recalled to S'pore to help in this hour of our need? FUCKING NO!!. He was left in China and never asked to come back. Yes, one of our supposedly most brilliant economic minds chiak liao bee in China with his new bride. U know why? Because Con You told him not to come back. If it smells, tastes, and looks like banishment, It must be banishment to me.

 

[Frankiestine]

Why the fuck GKS created NS?

We are not in a war zone like Israel and South Korea.. or even like Taiwan..

Because like the Israelis been surrounded by hostile countries. We are surrounded by all the Mats. That why the initial years of NS, our concept of defense was model after the Israelis and had their people over to trained our soldiers.

 

[Papsmearer]

Why the fuck GKS created NS?

We are not in a war zone like Israel and South Korea.. or even like Taiwan..

Goh and Con You split up the armed forces between them. Goh took the SAF, and at that time Con took the Police. In those days the SAF was so weak that it was almost equal fight with SPF. NS was created because of the threat from Indonesia during the confrontasi, the threat of communism in SE Asia and even possibly Malaysia. If Goh had any conscience he would have decried the waste of economic resources on the army today.

 

[Ramseth]

Why the fuck GKS created NS?

We are not in a war zone like Israel and South Korea.. or even like Taiwan..

Probably because LKY told him to. After independence (or kena booted from the merger), the passing of the Enlistment Act met little public resistance as Malaysian troops were still in Singapore and Indonesian confrontation was looming. It was a time of war hanging on the balance.

1. If Malaysian troops took control in the name of controlling racial riots or something like, Singapore would become a Malaysian protectorate, not an equal state as in a merger.

2. If Indonesian troops manage to land, that's the end. Malaysia would never allow that also. Singapore would host the SEA Wargames between Malaysia and Indonesia.

3. NS was started not only for Singapore defence, it was also to reassure Malaysia that Singapore could hold off Indonesia, didn't need their troops in Singapore anymore.

 

[Liquigas]

For those old enough to know, Dr Goh was the long-standing MP for Kreta Ayer, a cantonese enclave. Being peranakan, he knew not a single word of the dialect but then he was extremely popular with the residents and often returned unopposed during elections. Simply, nobody dare to venture there to challenge him. So it was real bullshit years later when Low won Hougang by defeating Tang Guan Seng and the reason given for the loss was that the latter cannot converse in teochew well enough to connect with the constituents...

 

[postnew]

 

[jw5]

I heard the breaking news on radio this morning while travelling in the cab. The driver, a young man in his early 30s, turned around and asked me ' Sir, who is this Dr Goh by the way?'

Americans do not forget their founding fathers after two centuries. Here, our young people have forgotten or not aware of this great man who had left office only in 1984.

If the taxi driver is in his early 30s, he was only about 5 when GKS left office.
It's understandable that he had not heard of him.

 

[jw5]

I don't know what cock bullshit you talking about. U want to know what the "personal reasons" are? He had fallen in love with his long time personal secretary and decided to divorce his wife and marry/live with the secretary. (Dr Pang, the MOE language expert he had fallen in love with is hardly his 'personal secretary', he has the balls to divorce his wife & be with the person he loved for the autumn of his life, to hell with LKY !) As Harry considers this sort of infidelity in a poor light, he was banished (banished ?! None other than Deng Xiao Ping invited him after he left Spore Govt to be economics advisor to coastal cities - a post he served for 6 years until 1991 when he tendered resignation due to old age) to China to serve as an "economic advisor" to China, along with his secretary. That was why he was away from S'pore even during the Asian crisis of 1987( hello, Asian financial crisis 1997 not 1987) . Nobody quits politics in S'pore, if you don't know this by now. Politicians get recycled all the time and all over the place. Just look at Lau Goh, and Con You. The only way you leave politics in S'pore at his level is either Con You tell you to fuck off, or you die( compared to Raja, Goh dared to stand up to Lee more .... I know you are Papsmearer, but fats are fats....)

It's Dr Phua, not Dr Pang.

 

[elephanto]

Please lah, only a pathetic small mind like yours considers small things like divorcing your wife "standing up to Lee Kuan Yew".

Papsmearer, why the fuck get so upset & started your juvenile insults ?
Have I fucked you in my earlier post?

You are entitled to your interpretation of facts. Gu Mu is the liason minister & has no authority to appoint. Fact is Deng made the invitation, of course as paramount leader, nobody suggest taking his time all the time.

Even you know the term Black Monday. Everybody would refer to the Stock Crash of 1987 as Black Monday. You knew too, except in your haste, you used 'Asian Crisis 1987', which every economist or not would generally refer to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

All these are the facts. No time to trade insults with you....

 

[Merl Haggard]

The Chief architect of the modern Singapore ecnomy

He also built uo our credible Defence Force SAF

Apart from the Lees & MBT I do not think there is anyone in the current Cabinet who can match his foresight and ability

Great man - I respect him

And Goh Keng Swee also transformed the swamplands of Jurong to what it is today.

When his only son, the founder and CEO of City Securities got caught by the collapse of Pan El, he
refused to intervene to help when approached which led to City's eventual demise and Goh Junior
being made a bankrupt.

On the other hand, Temasek stepped in to indirectly rescue Freddie Lee's J Ballas & Co.

Today Freddie Lee is happily retired and lives in a $40m bungalow located at Coronation Rd West.

RIP honourable Goh Keng Swee and my prayers and thoughts are with your loved ones.

 

[elephanto]

It's Dr Phua, not Dr Pang.

Thanks for the correction, it's indeed Dr Phua

 

[Rogue Trader]

1. If Malaysian troops took control in the name of controlling racial riots or something like, Singapore would become a Malaysian protectorate, not an equal state as in a merger.

2. If Indonesian troops manage to land, that's the end. Malaysia would never allow that also. Singapore would host the SEA Wargames between Malaysia and Indonesia.

3. NS was started not only for Singapore defence, it was also to reassure Malaysia that Singapore could hold off Indonesia, didn't need their troops in Singapore anymore.

Hi there,

1. good post
2. why you also write in point form now?
3. is this the new format for Sbf?

 

[Papsmearer]

Papsmearer, why the fuck get so upset & started your juvenile insults ?
Have I fucked you in my earlier post?

You are entitled to your interpretation of facts. Gu Mu is the liason minister & has no authority to appoint. Fact is Deng made the invitation, of course as paramount leader, nobody suggest taking his time all the time.

Even you know the term Black Monday. Everybody would refer to the Stock Crash of 1987 as Black Monday. You knew too, except in your haste, you used 'Asian Crisis 1987', which every economist or not would generally refer to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

All these are the facts. No time to trade insults with you....

Fact is there was a financial crisis in 1987, which is what I said. Call it by whatever name you want. There was a serious crisis. SO, don't BS people and I say I was referring to 1997.

 

[Lee5604]

Goh Keng Swee in his younger days (when he was Minister of Defence) kept a mistress in Taiwan. He flew often to Taipei for his flings. Guess many people knew about this including the Old Man. Old Man allowed these flings, but told him to keep it strictly out of Singapore.

Later, when he was Minister of Education, he met his second love of his life, a woman civil servant who was so much younger than himself.

 

[Papsmearer]

Goh Keng Swee in his younger days (when he was Minister of Defence) kept a mistress in Taiwan. He flew often to Taipei for his flings. Guess many people knew about this including the Old Man. Old Man allowed these flings, but told him to keep it strictly out of Singapore.

Later, when he was Minister of Education, he met his second love of his life, a woman civil servant who was so much younger than himself.

Same for LKY too.

 

[boring]

Only old people will know him. I don't even know this guy and you people are so nuts about him.

because u only know how to suck cock!!!:oIo: