My last job is to ensure a strong 5G team: ESM Goh

Singapore's second PM says he believes strongly in managed political succession

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong says political succession cannot be left to elections.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong says political succession cannot be left to elections.

Ensuring that Singapore has strong leaders in the pipeline to carry the country forward is on Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong's to-do list. "I'm a strong believer in managed political succession," he said, adding that he hopes to help current leaders bring in new blood before he retires.

Mr Goh, 77, who was Singapore's second prime minister from 1990 to 2004, was speaking at a dialogue held during a book festival yesterday where he responded to a question on what his last job for the Republic would be.

In December last year, Mr Goh urged 4G leaders in a Facebook post to pick a leader among themselves.

Last month, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat became the ruling party's first assistant secretary-general, a post that tips him to be the country's next leader, after current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

During yesterday's dialogue, Mr Goh said that countries, like companies, need to plan for new leaders.

Political succession cannot be left to elections, which he likened to "a throw of dice", he added.

"Our lives are being governed by that throw... I believe each time we throw the dice, it must come up with '6' (the highest number on a die), which means that political succession is very important for us," he said.

"The last bit that I want to do is make sure that there is a strong 5G team to lead Singapore over the next 20, 30 years. After that, I won't be around," he said.

Going forward, Mr Goh, who has been an MP for Marine Parade since 1976, said it is important for 4G leaders to reach out to "the ordinary people, and not just focus on policies all the time".

Held during BookFest @ Singapore at Suntec Singapore convention centre, the dialogue was hosted by co-founder of content agency The Nutgraf, Mr Peh Shing Huei, the author of Mr Goh's biography which was launched last month.

Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story has since sold more than 25,000 copies.

Questions asked during the dialogue were posted online, and members of the public wanted to know what Mr Goh's happiest moment as prime minister was (when the ruling party won 75 per cent of the vote in the 2001 General Election so he could think about stepping aside for new leaders), whether he ever thought about joining the opposition ("not even for a second") and his regrets in life (not picking up Mandarin).

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on December 23, 2018, with the headline My last job is to ensure a strong 5G team: ESM Goh. Subscribe