Singapore Government Press Release
Media Relations Division, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 6837-9666

Q: "Prime Minister, it’s been 13 years since you’ve been Prime Minister. How would you describe your tenure thus far?"

Mr Goh: "I find it satisfying. My main mission when I became Prime Minister was to keep Singapore going and Singapore has been kept going. So, I’m happy with what I’ve done for Singapore."

Q: "What was the hardest part in terms of following the footsteps of somebody like Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew? I mean, he must have been a pretty tough act to follow?"

Mr Goh: "When I was sworn in as Prime Minister, I made it clear that I was not going to wear his pair of shoes. His shoe size is 13,14 or 15. Mine is only size nine. So, I wear my own pair of shoes and I walk comfortably."

Q: "How has your approach, though, been different from him?"

Mr Goh: "Basically, it’s a personality difference. In terms of policies, no disagreements, generally. In terms of attitude, values; I don’t see any differences. But in terms of style, that’s where the difference is."

Q: "How so? Give me an example?"

Mr Goh: "I think his own character, his own historical experience makes him a very firm leader; that means a no-nonsense leader, who is very much top-down. He has an image of being very authoritarian. Whereas, my style is softer, I would say gentler and probably, more in keeping with the mood of the day."

Q: "You obviously grew, I wouldn’t say grew up as such, but grew in politics as him as the sort of founding father. Did he not influence you in any way or…?"

Mr Goh: "He influenced me tremendously. Just by working with him, one gets to know his thinking; the way he works. And you are bound to be influenced by him, consciously or unconsciously. I would say he makes a worrier out of me. As the Prime Minister, he worried a lot and, of course, he still worries a lot about Singapore. Having gone into the job, I now begin to worry everyday about Singapore."

Q: "You have said quite publicly that when the economy is stable, you will step aside. What do you mean by "stable"? Is Singapore stable now?"

Mr Goh: "Last year, we had a very bad patch. We almost went into a recession. For the whole year, we grew only by 0.8 per cent. This year, the expectation is three to five per cent. When I see signs of growth and the growth is sustained, that’s the time for me to decide when to quit."

Q: "Under your leadership, Singapore has sort of loosened up. You know, we’re hearing of homosexuals allowed in Civil Service, we hear of bar-top dancing in some areas of Singapore, which I haven't seen yet. How do you balance this sort of loosening up of Singapore but still maintain the order?"

Mr Goh: "Law and order will always be very important for Singapore. And I believe that you’ve got to have some regulations in order that society can function smoothly. But at the same time, as people grow up, they want more freedom. On an individual basis, children want to have more freedom. You’ve got to allow that. So, how do you balance it? I would say - let it evolve, move as quickly or as slowly as people would like to move."

Q: "But why now? Why in the last some years was this feeling that it was important to ease up?"

Mr Goh: "I felt that we have a very good product in the People's Action Party. The policies are good; the results are there. But how is that we are losing support? I was referring to the period in the early 1980s. And I was determined to sell the product better, package it in a more gentler way. People want to be consulted. They want to participate in the affairs of the state. I support that, to give them a stake in the country."

Q: "Interesting. What do you think is the biggest challenge now for Singapore, not only as a city-state but also for its citizens?"

Mr Goh: "The biggest challenge on the economic side is - how do we reckon with the New World? We now see the emergence of many countries following the open style of Singapore in attracting foreign investments -- China, now India and the Eastern European countries. So, basically, the model that we used to develop Singapore is also the model being used by many other countries with, of course, modifications. How do we then carve for ourselves a niche in the world to sustain our high standard of living? That is the biggest challenge for Singapore."

Q: "In your tenure, you have signed a number of FTAs, free trade agreements, particularly with the United States. Why did you decide to do this?"

Mr Goh: "The best route for us is to have the WTO getting a new round of negotiations started and then we have lower tariffs all around on a global basis. Singapore needs to have an open economy internationally for us to do well because we are a trading nation. We came to the conclusion that that new round is not going to come about so quickly. They have met in Doha, they have met in Cancun; it didn't come about. The alternative, therefore, is to pursue a freer trading regime through bilateral agreements. That's the rationale for our pursuit of FTAs."

Q: "Prime Minister, people seem to respect you, but they also like you. Now, that's quite unusual for a politician, don't you think?"

Mr Goh: "I think it's a quality which is important for politicians, but as we all know, you must gain respect. In some instances, you have to be feared to get your policies through. So, there should be a combination of fear, respect and, of course, if you can, popularity."

Q: "So, you think Singaporeans fear you as well?"

Mr Goh: "I think they respect me. If I can get my policies through when they respect me, that's enough."

Q: "Prime Minister, not much is known about your family life. What was your childhood like?

Mr Goh: "I would say I came from a working-class family. My father died very young, unfortunately for him and for the family. There were some deprivations, but not too much. And it's the context of an extended family which I treasure. I grew up with my uncles, my grandmother and aunts and so on."

Q: "Would you say, then, that your mother would have been the one that basically raised you?"

Mr Goh: "I would say it was my grandmother because my mother had to teach. She taught at that time -- in today's context, it's quite near, but in those times -- in a remote village quite far away. So, she stayed away for the week and would come back for the weekend. So, it was a combination of grandmother and mother."

 Q: "Do you remember much about your father?"

Mr Goh: "I would say not too much. But the memory of him dying on his death bed, I mean, that's vivid."

Q: "Would you share some of that with us?"

Mr Goh: "I think the day he died, he called me to his bedside, or rather, my mother and my grandmother said - "See your father, he is dying". His last words were - "Look after your mother, look after your brother and sisters". Then, that night, he passed away."

Q: "He should have said, "look after your country" because did he ever expect that this little boy would become Prime Minister?"

Mr Goh: "He did not expect it."

Q: "Did you?"

Mr Goh: "Neither did I. No, no, it was never in my ambition nor my dream."

Q: "What did you think of doing as a young child? I mean, what did you think you want to be -- a pilot, a doctor?"

Mr Goh: "I wanted to be a writer."

Q: "A writer?"

Mr Goh: "I enjoyed reading as a child. Of course, as a child, when you read good books, you imagine that you could write such beautiful books and I thought to be a writer. Why a writer? Because a writer could influence people with his ideas. That was my basic motivation. And I nearly became a journalist…"

Q: "That's dangerous."

Mr Goh: "That's dangerous. That’s dangerous for other people, because I’d be interviewing others."

Q: "I wouldn't even want to think about that, Prime Minister. Who or what, do you think, has shaped you as a young man to the man you are today?"

Mr Goh: "I would say the person who influenced me as a young man would be my uncle, about four years my senior, the youngest brother of my father. So, we were more like friends and he would introduce some books for me to read. I think, in that sense, he influenced me as a young man. But later on, the event which influenced me, on looking back, was the fact that I was given a bursary in school to help me finish my school. And in university, I was also on bursary. Because of that event, when I was approached later on to take part in politics, I could not say "no". In that sense, there is a linkage between what I received from the country and what I decided to do later on."

Q: "Prime Minister, when the People's Action Party, or PAP, was formed about 1954, it was basically set up by middle-class English-educated people, correct? How did you manage to fit in? Obviously, you came from humbler beginnings? Was it tough?"

Mr Goh: "That's the beauty of the system. The People's Action Party goes out to identify people whom they think can serve the country by way of character, motivation and capabilities. I was working in a shipping line at that stage and the former Minister for Finance -- he has passed away -- recommended me to Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. So, that’s how I was inducted into politics. "

Q: "Has the premiership, then, changed you at all?"

Mr Goh: "I would say, yes, tremendously. First, as I told you, it makes me a big worrier now. Otherwise, in the past, you just do a job, you worry about the family. But now, you’ve got to worry in a bigger context, not just about tomorrow, but about the future as well because basically, Singapore is a vulnerable country; small, dependent on others for a living. I would say, in a personal way, I’m much more confident as a person and, of course, you’ve now got a bigger world view than if you were in the private sector."

Q: "With your job comes a lot of heartache. What do you think has been the hardest part?"

Mr Goh: "I would think the most worrying point would be when Sars broke out in Singapore. Because it was something new, something strange, something very dangerous. And we could see that doctors, nurses were affected and some died and Sars was spreading through the community. That was a big worry. That was, I would say, a frightening moment for me as Prime Minister. If you can't control that, well, we have to be blamed because we are in charge. The main thing was - lives were being threatened."

Q: "What is your most memorable golf game that you’ve had thus far? Any interesting people?"

Mr Goh: "Playing with President Clinton, first, in Canada, Vancouver. I think it was at Shaughnessy Golf Course in Canada. That’s when I got to know him and he got to know me. That paved the way for another golf game and that was memorable. That golf game took place at about 11.30 pm at night in Brunei. We finished at about 1.45 am, just both of us, nine holes. And when we finished, we sat down, and I said, "Mr President, could I talk to you for a minute on business?" He said, "Yes" and I broached the subject of an FTA with the US at about 2.00 am in the morning, and he said, "Yes, that seems to be worth doing for both of us". That's how the FTA with the US started."

Q: "Amazing. So, you caught him in a good mood. Wait, wait, wait, who won?"

Mr Goh: "Well, I think he played better than I did that night. He was happy; he did very well. "

Q: "Let me ask you about your wife. She is a lawyer, I understand. How much support or what sort of support has she given you? She’s just playing the role of a wife, a mother?"

Mr Goh: "I think basically, that’s it because I keep politics out of the home. I don't discuss with her and I don't discuss politics with my son or my daughter. I let them lead their own lives. She is supportive as a wife, as a homemaker looking after the home, basically.

Q: "Are you very close with your children and obviously, their children, your grandchildren?"

Mr Goh: "I would say close. "Very" may be stretching it a little bit, but basically, I think it’s a close family. Now, I will say very close to my granddaughters. They come, I play with them and I will say close in that sense."

Q: "But now you have the time, don’t you, Prime Minister, to spend with your grandchildren? Did you have the time to spend with your own children when they were growing up?"

Mr Goh: "Not enough. Not enough. I think when they were growing up, up to about maybe seven, eight, yes, I spent a lot of time. But thereafter, I would say that’s the big regret being in politics - not sufficient time with them."

Q: "If and when you do step down as Prime Minister, what do you plan to do? Do you see yourself still in politics?"

Mr Goh: "I would still be in politics. Basically, the new Prime Minister to be has asked me whether he could continue to use my services. My answer is - of course. If I think I could be of use to him and to Singapore, I would carry on."

Q: "What do you think about the sort of Lee dynasty that many people say is happening here in Singapore? It could be a perception, but how do you feel about that?"

Mr Goh: "I’m quite easy about this because, basically, it is a system based on merit and the Lee family is quite an exceptional family. If you get to know the family members - Mr and Mrs Lee, the children of Lee Kuan Yew, the grandchildren - it’s quite a remarkable family. They are in many places, but they are there on their own merit. Nevertheless, this creates the impression that the Lees are controlling Singapore.

Q: "So, that’s something you just say has to be accepted."

Mr Goh: "Yes, it has got to be accepted. Just make sure it’s done in a transparent manner. For example, Lee Hsien Loong, who will be my successor - his promotion or his appointment, his selection will be done on a transparent basis. He will be selected, not by his father, not even by me. He has to be selected by his colleagues, the Members of Parliament."

Q: "Prime Minister, how do you, though, create your own legacy against this backdrop?"

Mr Goh: "Just be myself. I did not set out to be the Prime Minister. I did not set out to create a legacy. I just set out to make Singapore gentler. I believe a lot in a gracious society. Courtesy to me is a very important virtue and if I could contribute to making Singapore a more courteous, gracious society, well, that is what I had wanted to do."

Q: "What is the Singapore you envision in the next few years?"

Mr Goh: "The next few years, I would think, we should be able to continue on the path of being more open, and getting people to be more participative in the affairs of the state. I see my successor doing that and…"

Q: "In what way?"

Mr Goh: "To give Singaporeans a sense that they can make a difference in Singapore. That’s important because people thought that the PAP is so strong and that they don’t make any difference; that their views don’t count. That’s the perception. If that is so, then we lose the support of the people. I don’t mean electoral support, but people feeling that they, too, can make this place their own home and they can make a difference to Singapore."

Q: "When you finally call it quits, how would you like your term as Prime Minister to be described as, when you read the morning newspaper?"

Mr Goh: "I have not bothered about that. I think it’s for others to decide. I do not believe in writing my own obituary. In this case, of course, it’s not an obituary. Let them write what they think will be my contribution to Singapore."

Q: "But how would you like to, you know, be remembered? I mean, how would you like people to think of you as?"

Mr Goh: "Just as Goh Chok Tong, who has done his little bit to Singapore or for Singapore."

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