"Goh Chok Tong Is A Quiet Rebel" - PN Balji
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http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/34437-a-quiet-rebel-called-goh-chok-tong--pn-balji-
"Lee’s distate for India has been well documented. He considered the South Asian giant a lumbering and bickering elephant sacrificing economic growth for noisy democratic ideals."
The Malaysian Insider, 6 Aug 2009
A quiet rebel called Goh Chok Tong – PN Balji
AUG 6 – First, the obvious. During his 14 years as PM, Goh Chok Tong became a very well-liked politician. And, arguably, the most popular one from Singapore.
How did that come about, especially when the odds were stacked against a deputy who was not his boss’ first choice to take over, a rising leader who was vilified publicly for his “wooden” personality and a man many considered to be a seat warmer?
Now, the not so obvious. His most notable achievement as PM was his ability to move Singapore away from one of the most-jealously guarded philosophies of Lee Kuan Yew and his “Old Order” welfarism.
Just three weeks into his administration, Goh was already announcing plans for a $5 billion fund to give handouts to students who could use the money for enrichment activities.
Over the years in office, he also introduced other semi-welfare measures like Medifund and Medisave top-ups and upgrading of HDB flats. Even bolder was the giving of money in the form of shares to Singaporeans in 2001.
The philosophy of these moves, especially the last one, was a stark departure from the “Pay and Pay” culture that the PAP has often been mocked for.
With the intellectual weight, political might and national track record of a man like Lee hovering over this island state, how did Goh become his own man?
A long-time friend of his said: “Many people don’t know the real Chok Tong. He is a quiet achiever. Behind that personable exterior is a rebel, one who builds his case persuasively and wins over people with his sincerity.”
In foreign affairs, the quiet rebel popped up again. He stepped out of Lee’s shadow and developed a special relationship with India.
Lee’s distate for India has been well documented. He considered the South Asian giant a lumbering and bickering elephant sacrificing economic growth for noisy democratic ideals.
At a time when China was the flavour of the day, Goh gambled on India, saying that he wanted to create an Indian fever in Singapore.
The Indian gamble turned out to be a sweet bet for Goh, with Lee acknowledging in 2005: “I will have to change my views on India in my memoirs.’’
There were a couple of disappointments, though. One local, the other foreign.
Just a year into his prime ministership, Goh wanted to test his leadership’s popularity with the electorate. But during the elections in that year, his party lost two more seats and the share of votes dipped to 61 per cent, the ruling party’s worst performance since the early 1960s.
In foreign relations, Goh’s exuberance in rushing into a fresh start with Malaysia crashed, with relations between the two neighbouring hitting new depths of acrimony and mistrust.
Leave these setbacks aside and Goh shines as a politician who has left behind a social compact that even his successor has institutionalised.
You need not look further than the workfare and jobs credit schemes that Lee Hsien Loong have introduced in the last five years as Singapore’s third PM.
The genesis of these moves goes back to the Goh Chok Tong era. The former PM not only introduced welfarism, Singapore style, he also entrenched it. And he did it in his own quiet way.
* PN Balji is a veteran Singapore journalist. He is now director of Asia Journalism Fellowship. It is an initiative of Temasek Foundation and Nanyang Technological University.
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out of the 3, i like him the most
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i think you need to choose from 5 to have a Fair guage.
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yea i prefer GCT
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Originally posted by Shao Wei:
out of the 3, i like him the most
The Father, the Son and the Holy-Goh.
Amen to Singapore.
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Originally posted by Gun:
The Father, the Son and the Holy-Goh.
Amen to Singapore.
so when can we nail the son to the cross?
i been waiting for that moment!
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Originally posted by Shao Wei:
so when can we nail the son to the cross?
i been waiting for that moment!
Wait till the Father allows you to pick up the Hammer.... he might just send a lightning bolt to strike you before you can even drive the first nail in... -
Originally posted by Shao Wei:
so when can we nail the son to the cross?
i been waiting for that moment!
Since the son has been nailed before, let us nail the father this time
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I prefer a quiet devil than a quiet rebel (one who disagrees a lot but pressed balls to agree)
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Originally posted by Shao Wei:
so when can we nail the son to the cross?
i been waiting for that moment!
The day after he had his last supper... -
Beware the incarnation, the resurrection - especially here in Singapore - cos here, anything goes cos we are stuck with a one-party system.
So it is good to remember - today we are in these state of affairs cos we voted them in but left out the opposition.
Gun - the government or whichever party rules!
Bullets - let the opposition hold on to them.
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Originally posted by Gun:
The Father, the Son and the Holy-Goh.
Amen to Singapore.
Omitofu! -
i still love the current one, LHL, he brings more color and news to singapore. Mr Goh is abit too boring
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Originally posted by angel7030:
i still love the current one, LHL, he brings more color and news to singapore. Mr Goh is abit too boring
since you like LHL so much kindly go lick his ass
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Originally posted by trashbag:
since you like LHL so much kindly go lick his ass
probably he already did so and may not get enough. -
Originally posted by trashbag:
since you like LHL so much kindly go lick his ass
wha lau, like must lick ass one meh?? -
Originally posted by angel7030:
wha lau, like must lick ass one meh??Can lick or suck his dick too
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Originally posted by Gun:
The Father, the Son and the Holy-Goh.
Amen to Singapore.
Lol. -
Originally posted by trashbag:
Can lick or suck his dick too
wha lau, u got lots of dirty illusion hor -
Out of our 3 pms, I prefer goh.
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are you sure we got only 3 PMs?
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Originally posted by angel7030:
wha lau, like must lick ass one meh??
I know you adore him but if you lick his ass then I say you really have a poor taste
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Originally posted by Gun:
The Father, the Son and the Holy-Goh.
Amen to Singapore.
whats SM Goh religion? christian?
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Originally posted by marcteng:
whats SM Goh religion? christian?
If you would consider Sado-Masochism -
Originally posted by Gun:
The Father, the Son and the Holy-Goh.
Amen to Singapore.
should b The Father, the Son and the Ho-Ching.