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SINGAPORE: Former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee died early Friday morning after battling a long illness.
Dr Goh, who was also a former Finance Minister, was 91.
He is survived by his wife, son, daughter-in-law, two grandsons and three great grandchildren.
According to his wife, Dr Phua Swee Liang, Dr Goh died from pneumonia and old age.
The late Dr Goh had seen the country through self government, survival, and hard-earned success.
And as the architect of modern economic Singapore - he had laid the foundation for much of what now exists in Singapore
"At first I had no initial vision. You just start it and hope for the best. If you've a vision, that means you're a dreamer. I'm not a dreamer," said the late Dr Goh.
Dr Goh came to Singapore at the age of two, and was later educated at Anglo Chinese School before going on to study economics at Raffles College.
He worked as a civil servant till the Japanese Occupation of Singapore during the Second World War.
After the war a scholarship took him to the London School of Economics.
After obtaining his PhD on a University of London Scholarship in 1956, Dr Goh rejoined the civil service on his return to Singapore.
Later, he quit to enter politics running in the 1959 Legislative Assembly Election on the PAP ticket.
With self-government, Dr Goh being the only economist in the first Singapore cabinet, was given the portfolio of Finance Minister.
The strategy of Dr Goh was to build a manufacturing sector to attract foreign multi-national corporations to invest – and so provide jobs very quickly.
In 1961, Dr Goh set up the Economic Development Board with the objective of attracting foreign multi-national companies to Singapore.
"It's Dr Goh who thought of the various economic policies, he's very creative. We talk nowadays about our lack of entrepreneurship in Singapore, I think the greatest entrepreneur that Singapore has seen is Dr Goh," said S Dhanabalan, who was cabinet minister from 1980-1994.
Through his efforts 15 thousand acres of swamp in Jurong was turned into a modern industrial park.
In the late 1960s, Dr Goh became Singapore's first Interior and Defence Minister, overseeing the introduction of National Service and the building of the Singapore Armed Forces.
After his success in the Finance and Defence ministries, Dr Goh who had earned himself the nickname, "Mr Fix It" went on to be appointed Education Minister in 1979.
During his term the streaming policy and Gifted Education Programme were introduced, the Curriculum Development Institute was set up and the foundations laid for the computerization drive in schools.
During his tenure in government service Dr Goh was also instrumental in the creation of Singapore's first defence hardware company Chartered Industries of Singapore, the Jurong Bird Park and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
In 1984 Dr Goh retired from politics.
By then, he had been in the Cabinet for 25 years, serving the last 11 as Deputy Prime Minister.
- CNA/sf/jy
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