When Mr Goh Chok Tong took over as Prime Minister, many wondered how he would fare, after the exceptional achievements of the giant before him. By the time he handed over to the next Prime Minister, he had won everyone’s respect and affection.
The workers of Singapore owe him a debt of gratitude.
He shook hands, chatted and shared meals with everyone, no matter his or her station in life. In fact, he had high regard for the humble labourers - he asked me to set up the Model Worker’s Awards to signal to low income workers that the contributions they make are important also for Singapore. He turned up personally to present the awards and to talk to them and their family members. I know that it gave him great satisfaction to see how happy and proud the recipients and their family members were.
The NTUC believed that one of the best things we can do for workers is to provide them with training. And Mr Goh readily helped us to do so.
For instance when we launched the Skills Redevelopment Programme, he pledged financial support of $50 million and he later top it up with another $50 million dollars.
We set up the NTUC Education and Training Fund to help those workers who find it hard to afford even the subsidised courses, and - for those who can afford it - to give them an incentive. He pledged to match us in our fundraising efforts with $3 for every dollar we raised.
Mr Goh came from a working class family, and knew what hardship meant. For him, political power was the means that he could use to uplift the lives of workers.
Indeed, during his tenure as Prime Minister, the lives of workers improved.
So when Mr Goh stepped down last year, we asked ourselves how we can thank him. And we discovered we have already given him the highest award we could give for May Day. We decided then to give him a simple book. This is a book not for the cerebral. But this is a book which ordinary workers can well appreciate, and I hope we have succeeded in capturing the essence of the man and the regard of the ordinary man-in-the-street for Mr Goh.
Tonight, on behalf of the labour movement, we are happy to present Mr Goh Chok Tong with a copy of this book. We have called it “Gentleman”, for truly, he is a tall gentleman!
Thank you, Mr Goh, from all of us!
