On Friday, Dr. Goh Keng Swee passed away. He had served Singapore as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Education, Finance, as well as at the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
From Dr. Goh’s final speech in office:
“To the New Guards soon joining us, may I say this: Welcome to you. Some of you will discover before long that you have joined a Holy Order that expects total commitment from you. That will be your moment of truth. You will then regard the present condition of the Republic not as a pinnacle of achievement but as a base from which to scale new heights.”
I have nothing but respect for the old guard of civil servants who built modern Singapore – To my friends who do the daily hard work of government, thank you. You make me believe in the Platonic ideal of a Republic even as I worry about it’s unstable equilibrium, and the dangers of complacency.
