14 May 2010
All of us at NTUC and our unions, associations and co-operatives are deeply saddened to hear of the demise of former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, and extend our deepest condolences to his wife and family. Attached is our condolence letter to the wife of the late Dr Goh Keng Swee.
Dear Madam Phua Swee Lian,
All of us at the National Trades Union Congress and our unions, associations and co-operatives are deeply saddened to hear of the demise of your husband, former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, and extend our deepest condolences to you and family.
Dr Goh Keng Swee is a national hero.
He played a pivotal role in the modernisation of Singapore’s socio-economic structure. From the earliest days of his public life, he maintained close association with the trade unions and placed great emphasis on the vital role of the Labour Movement in Singapore. We are indeed indebted to him as he had helped to chart the union movement’s future goals and directions at the 1969 Labour Movement Modernisation Seminar.
Dr Goh envisioned that the way for the Labour Movement to succeed was through the operation of successful co-operative businesses that not only served the needs of the Labour Movement but also the needs of ordinary working people not served by the private sector. He said then, “In my view, the potential for growth of the co-operative movement, if supported and sustained by organised labour, is excellent, provided the right strategy and the right methods are employed.”
He was instrumental in laying down four key principles under which the Labour Movement could operate its co-operatives effectively. Firstly, the co-operatives must be fully competitive with private enterprises and not expect privileged treatment by the Government. Secondly, the Labour Movement should engage in co-operative enterprises in areas that it already has a natural built-in advantage so that the co-operatives could compete easily and successfully with private enterprises. Thirdly, the co-operatives must have the highest standards of integrity and this can be achieved through a one-central authority like NTUC, which would supervise the co-operative enterprises.
Fourthly, the co-operative must have effective management. Dr Goh was truly a beacon of meritocracy when he said, “The staff of the co-operative, be it the top executive or the general run of employees, should be recruited entirely on the basis of merit. The co-operative should not be made the dumping ground of loyal and aged union members who are tired of their present employment and believe that they deserve a more congenial occupation at better rates of pay. Nor should appointments and promotions to any position in the co-operatives be subject to political pressures or influence. Merit and performance must be the only criterion.” He added that while the co-operative’s professional staff would be “held responsible to a committee, Board of Directors or whatever the governing body be called, it should be given considerable scope for the exercise of initiative, judgement and enterprise. The committee or board should not interfere in the day-to-day management of the co-operative.”
The success of the Labour Movement’s co-operatives is due to close adherence to the wise counsel of Dr Goh.
He held on to the strong belief that the successful management of co-operative businesses would help to strengthen the position of the Labour Movement and advance the national interest. His careful guidance and contribution in helping the Labour Movement was evident in the outstanding achievements of the co-operative businesses, particularly those of the NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative Limited, in which he was the Chairman of its Board of Trustees from 1970 to 1979.
Dr Goh had also discharged many of his public office duties to promote the welfare and well-being of the ordinary working people of Singapore. In the 1960s, as Finance Minister, he was responsible for initiating Singapore’s industrialisation plans and the establishment of the Economic Development Board, the Development Bank of Singapore and the Jurong Industrial Estate, the latter being transformed from a swampy wasteland, so as to attract foreign investments here and which consequently, created many thousands of jobs for Singaporeans.
Workers and unionists identified with Dr Goh as a man with an affable touch as well as a comrade who had fought to improve the lives of fellow workers and Singaporeans. He was both compassionate and concerned over the plight of low-income workers and the poor. His diligence, dedication and sincerity have touched and warmed the hearts of many Singaporeans and workers alike.
His demise is truly a loss to our workers, Singaporeans and Singapore. He will always be fondly remembered by all of us as an icon for the workers who had 40 years ago shown the Labour Movement the path to modernisation that has led us to where we are today.
Yours sincerely,
John De Payva, President
Lim Swee Say, Secretary-General
Lim Boon Heng, Secretary-General (1993-2006)
