Senior positions

Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
In office 20 August 2004 – 30 April 2011
Preceded by	Lee Hsien Loong
Succeeded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Ministerial offices

Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
In office 2 January 1985 – 28 November 1990 Serving with Ong Teng Cheong
Preceded by	Goh Keng Swee S. Rajaratnam
Succeeded by	Lee Hsien Loong Tony Tan
Minister for Defence
In office 1 June 1982 – 30 June 1991
Preceded by	Howe Yoon Chong
Succeeded by	Yeo Ning Hong
Minister for Health
In office 6 January 1981 – 31 May 1982
Preceded by	Toh Chin Chye
Succeeded by	Howe Yoon Chong
Minister for Trade and Industry
In office 15 March 1979 – 31 May 1981
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Tony Tan

Personal details

Born

20 May 1941 (age 84)
Singapore, Strait Settlements

Political party

People's Action Party

Spouse

Tan Choo Leng

(m. 1965)

Children

Alma mater

University of Singapore (BA)
Williams College (MA)

Signature

Chinese name

Traditional Chinese

吳作棟

Simplified Chinese

吴作栋

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Wú Zuòdòng
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Ngh Jok-dung
Jyutping	Ng⁴ Zok³ Dung⁶
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Gô͘ Chok-tòng

Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician. He served as the second Prime Minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004. After that, he was a Senior Minister from 2004 to 2011.

He was also the leader of the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1992 to 2004. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Marine Parade area from 1976 to 2020.

Before becoming Prime Minister, he was the Deputy Prime Minister. During this time, he helped create the Medisave plan. This plan helps Singaporeans save money for future medical costs. He also supported the Edusave Awards. These awards give money to students who do well in school, either for their grades or good character.

As Prime Minister, Goh introduced new political ideas. These included allowing more opposition members and independent voices in Parliament. He also made sure that minority groups were represented. He introduced the idea of an Elected President in 1991. Before this, presidents were chosen by Parliament. He also started the Vehicle Quota Scheme to control the number of cars in Singapore.

On 12 August 2004, Lee Hsien Loong became the new Prime Minister. Goh then became a Senior Minister and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). He left the Cabinet in 2011 and was given the special title of "Emeritus Senior Minister." He retired from politics in 2020.

Early Life and Education
Career Beginnings
Political Journey
Honours
Personal Life
Legacy
See also

Early Life and Education

Goh Chok Tong was born in Singapore on 20 May 1941. His parents were from the Fujian province in China. He has Chinese Hokkien family roots.

He went to Raffles Institution from 1955 to 1960. When he was younger, he was a very good swimmer. People even called him "Bold."

Goh earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Singapore. He then got a Master of Arts degree in development economics from Williams College in 1967.

After finishing his studies, Goh returned to Singapore to work for the government. In 2015, the National University of Singapore gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. This was to recognize his important contributions to the country.

Career Beginnings

In 1969, Goh started working at Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), a national shipping company. He quickly moved up in his career. By 1973, he was the Managing Director of the company.

Political Journey

In the 1976 general election, Goh was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Marine Parade area. He was a candidate for the People's Action Party (PAP). He was first appointed as a Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance.

Later, he became the Minister for Trade and Industry in 1981. He also served as Minister for Health and Minister for Defence.

In 1985, Goh became Deputy Prime Minister. He began to take on more responsibility in the government. The leaders of the PAP chose him to be the next Prime Minister.

Leading as Prime Minister

On 28 November 1990, Goh Chok Tong became the second Prime Minister of Singapore. He took over from Lee Kuan Yew. During his first year, Lee Kuan Yew remained an important advisor in Goh's government.

In the 1991 general election, the first election under Goh's leadership, the PAP won 61% of the votes. In 1992, Lee Kuan Yew handed over the leadership of the PAP to Goh. This completed the change in leadership.

Goh promised a more open and listening style of leadership. He wanted to encourage more creativity and new ideas in Singapore.

Goh's government introduced several important policies and programs, including:

Medisave (a savings plan for healthcare)
Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs)
Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs)
Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs)
Vehicle Quota Scheme (to manage car numbers)
Elected President (allowing citizens to vote for president)
Singapore 21 (a vision for Singapore in the 21st century)

Goh Chok Tong shaking hands with President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev (right) in 1996.

During his time as Prime Minister, Singapore faced several challenges. These included the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998. There were also threats of terrorism in 2001 and the 2003 SARS outbreak.

Goh worked to build strong relationships with other countries. He helped create a free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and the United States. This agreement was signed in 2003. It was the first FTA between the USA and an Asian country.

As the leader of the PAP, Goh led the party to win three general elections. They won 61% of the votes in 1991, 65% in 1997, and 75% in 2001. After the 2001 election, Goh said he would step down as Prime Minister once the economy recovered.

Goh Chok Tong in 2001.

Role as Senior Minister

In October 2003, Goh announced his plan to step down. On 12 August 2004, he officially stepped down as Prime Minister. He then took on a new role as Senior Minister in the Cabinet of Lee Hsien Loong. On 20 August 2004, he also became the Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

As Senior Minister, Goh visited many countries. He aimed to improve relationships and create more opportunities for Singaporean businesses.

On 1 February 2005, Goh received an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia. This is Australia's highest civilian honor. It was given for his excellent service to relations between Australia and Singapore.

He also signed an agreement with Israel in 2005 to prevent double taxation. This helped businesses in both countries.

Goh is a founding supporter of the Institute of Policy Studies. This is a government research group.

In the 2006 general election, Goh tried to help the PAP win back two areas from the opposition. However, the opposition leaders kept their seats.

In 2008, Goh was invited to join the InterAction Council of Former Heads of State and Government. This is a group of former world leaders.

In January 2011, Goh announced he would run for re-election in the 2011 general election. He spoke about the importance of finding new leaders for the future.

Goh Chok Tong speaking at a rally at Potong Pasir during the 2006 general election. The banner behind him shows the campaign manifesto of the People's Action Party, "Staying Together, Moving Ahead".

Emeritus Senior Minister

After the 2011 general election, Goh and Lee Kuan Yew announced they were retiring from the Cabinet. This was to allow Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his team to make a fresh start.

On 18 May 2011, Lee Hsien Loong announced that Goh would be a senior advisor to the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He was also given the honorary title of "Emeritus Senior Minister."

On 24 June 2011, the Japanese government awarded Goh the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

In the 2015 general election, Goh was re-elected in Marine Parade GRC. He won with 64.07% of the votes.

In 2018, the first book about his life, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, was published. It covers his life up to when he became Prime Minister in 1990.

On 25 June 2020, Goh announced his retirement as a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC. He had served for 44 years and retired from politics. Tan See Leng took his place.

A second book about his life, Standing Tall: The Goh Chok Tong Years, was released in April 2021. This book covers his 14 years as Prime Minister of Singapore.

Honours

Malaysia:
- Johor:
  - Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor (11 May 1991)
Australia:
- Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (1 February 2005)
Japan:
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (24 June 2011)

Personal Life

Goh Chok Tong is married to Tan Choo Leng. They have a son and a daughter, who are twins. Their son, Goh Jin Hian, was the former chief executive of New Silkroutes Group Limited. Their daughter, Goh Jin Theng, lives in London.

In his biography Standing Tall, Goh shared that he does not follow a specific religion. He was raised with traditional Chinese beliefs and practices ancestor worship. His wife is a Tibetan Buddhist, and his children are Methodist Christians.

In December 2020, Goh shared that he was undergoing treatment after a small growth was removed from his throat. He has faced a few health issues in recent years.

In 2021, Goh mentioned that he hopes to live until at least 93 years old, like his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad.

Legacy

Goh Chok Tong served as Prime Minister between the eras of Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong. He is often seen as an important link in Singapore's leadership history.

In October 2014, the Madame Tussauds Singapore museum revealed a wax figure of Goh. He posed for pictures with his statue at the opening.

The Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards, managed by the Mediacorp Enable Fund, are named after him. These awards support people with disabilities.

Goh Chok Tong facts for kids

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