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FOR many years, a rotting toll-gate gantry bar in Jurong stood as a testimony to Dr Goh Keng Swee's ingenious ways of encouraging development in Singapore.
In the 1960s, when he was finance minister and in charge of Singapore's industrialisation programme, Jurong was attracting investments from manufacturing companies.
To encourage more workers to live and work there, the Government built flats in the area. But the companies were not willing to help subsidise housing for their workers and preferred to continue ferrying them by bus from the central parts of the island, said Mr S. Dhanabalan.
'So Dr Goh decided that the only way to force the issue and get people to live there was to put a toll gate and charge toll.'
This proved a success. The toll gate 'was never put into operation' because workers started to move into the flats soon after.
As for the (gantry) bar, 'it stood there rotting for years and later fell down onto a passing lorry', said Mr Dhanabalan to laughter from the audience.
DR GOH'S INFLUENCE
'Many of the things were actually promulgated to us mostly by Dr Goh Keng Swee.
He was the one who had to temper our enthusiasm sometimes in trying to attract industries at all cost. There's one example I can think of which exemplifies this.
After we separated (from Malaysia) in 1965, we needed endorsements from various international companies that this was a good place to invest... and we wanted iconic industries. Esso was the first big investor to approach us after separation. So we were very keen on getting them.
They had identified Sentosa as the best place for them to put their refinery... We pushed very strongly (for it), but Dr Goh resisted. He felt that Sentosa should be reserved for other uses like recreation.'
MR DHANABALAN, replying to IT consultant Tay Kian Tiong, on the influence and foresight of Dr Goh. Mr Tay had asked what important foundations had made Singapore what it is today
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