We thank them for their service: PM Wong pays tribute to ESM Goh and SM Lee in his first NDR speech

SINGAPORE - He grew up in Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong’s ward, and worked side by side with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Aug 18 spoke about how he had benefited from growing up in Marine Parade with ESM Goh as his MP, and outlined his experiences working under SM Lee.

He started his inaugural National Day Rally speech by expressing his deepest gratitude to the two former prime ministers and others who had made Singapore what it is today. “We’ve achieved so much in Singapore over these last 60 years,” he said.

“It’s because of the strong foundations laid by previous prime ministers and governments, as well as successive generations of Singaporeans.”

Noting that ESM Goh and SM Lee were present, he said “We thank them for their service”, to rousing applause from the audience.

SM Lee was prime minister from 2004 to 2024, and ESM Goh was prime minister from 1990 to 2004.

Delivering his inaugural National Day Rally speech at the Institute of Technical Education headquarters in Ang Mo Kio, PM Wong said ESM Goh was the prime minister when he started work at the civil service.

Equally important, he pointed out, ESM Goh was the Member of Parliament in Marine Parade, where PM Wong lived as a child and grew up.

“I benefited greatly from the improvements he brought to the estate,” he said.

Marine Parade was then a new town and the nearest kindergarten was “quite far away”.

“I attended it for a few days, but had difficulties adjusting, and I kept crying. My parents were at their wits’ end. They eventually allowed me to stay home, and I missed most of my first year of pre-school,” he recalled.

Fortunately, at about the same time, ESM Goh set up a PAP kindergarten in Marine Parade, “conveniently located near my home”.

“I had a good teacher, I felt comfortable there, and I settled in well. Later, as a teenager, I even received an education award from him,” he said.

That was in 1989 before Edusave was started nationwide, and the award was a special Marine Parade initiative, he said.

PM Wong’s interactions as a young officer with SM Lee were at the Ministry of Finance, when Mr Lee was finance minister.

“As a young officer, I supported him on a few Budgets. Later, he became prime minister and was looking for a principal private secretary or PPS. I was nominated to go for an interview. I did not expect to get the job, but he gave me a chance to work alongside him,” he said.

“I did the best I could and I learnt much from him. As you can see, even his gongfu moves,” he said, as an image of himself doing taiji with SM Lee at the Istana in 2007 was presented.

PM Wong added: “I saw first-hand from him what devotion to country meant.

“I figured I would only be PPS for three years, while he would be prime minister for much longer. He had to run a marathon. I could afford to sprint, and go all out to support him. That was what I tried to do.”

While this was the first time he was delivering the National Day Rally speech as Prime Minister, it was not the first time he was involved in the Rally, he added.

Around 20 years ago, when he was still the principal private secretary to then PM Lee Hsien Loong, he often helped him with his speeches.

“We were so young then. Now SM Lee’s hair has turned white. I do not know when mine will become white, but I am mentally prepared for it,” PM Wong said in his speech in Mandarin, drawing laughter from SM Lee.

At that time, politics was the farthest thing on his mind, PM Wong said, and no one in his family or circle of friends expected him to take that path.

“But when Mr Lee asked me in 2011, I could already see the difficulties he faced in putting together a younger team.

“I had been in the public service long enough to know that without effective political leaders, our system would not function effectively. That’s why I decided to step forward to serve.”

In the last 13 years, he added, he has had the chance to work in different ministries, learning much from senior colleagues in the Cabinet.

“Now the leadership baton has passed to me. I have a bigger responsibility, but I have not changed.

“I may be Prime Minister but I am also a fellow citizen and a friend, sharing the same experiences and concerns as all of you,” he said.

“I am here to serve you and our country.

“I pledge to give my all to this endeavour.”

Read more: Key announcements from PM Wong’s first National Day Rally

Watch PM Wong’s National Day Rally speech here: