GLOWING TRIBUTES TO THE SAF'S FOUNDING FATHER

The contributions of Singapore's first Defence Minister, the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, are numerous - from establishing the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to setting up National Service (NS) and laying the foundations for local defence science and technology industries.

For Lieutenant-General (LG) (Rtd) Ng Jui Ping, former Chief of Defence Force from 1992 to 1995, one of Dr Goh's greatest achievements was in identifying and recruiting quality people.

"I think he was a pioneer who instituted the value that we always have to be on the search for talent and find ways to bring talent into the SAF. As a small armed forces, you will only win in a war if... you have the right people, who are competent, dedicated, have breadth of vision and are not afraid of innovation and making changes," said LG (Rtd) Ng, speaking to reporters on 20 May.

He was among thousands of servicemen who paid their last respects to the former deputy prime minister. Dr Goh's body will lie in state at the Parliament House from 20 to 22 May, before a state funeral is held on 23 May.

Describing Dr Goh as a "great inspirer", LG (Rtd) Ng related how the former defence minister had laughed and shown interest when he had gone up to the stage during a seminar and "took the opposite direction" of what his senior officers had been advocating.

"I was just a young captain then, and it was not a very usual thing to contradict your senior officers in front of the minister, especially in a big forum, so his reaction was a great encouragement for me," said LG (Rtd) Ng, who was eventually invited to be part of the Wranglers, a scheme launched by Dr Goh to spot officers with high potential and groom them to take on command and leadership appointments.

"Dr Goh spent a lot of his personal time visiting many battalions so that he could gain rapport and communicate directly with the young people he had put into various appointments" he added.

"When I commanded my first operational battalion, an artillery battalion, Dr Goh came and in the course of his visit, we had a chance to interact with him personally apart from the more formal meetings and discussions. So I can say my life has been touched, personally and directly, by Dr Goh. And I was very motivated by his example and leadership."

Sharing his sentiments was former artillery officer Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Rtd) Tay Khoon Seng who told cyberpioneer that he remembered Dr Goh as the "no-nonsense man... with no airs" - someone who could relate to the men on the ground.

As one of the pioneer batch of artillery officers, he recounted a memorable line by Dr Goh at the opening of the School of Artillery in 1967: "The tempering of steel is a lengthy process and men of steel you must be; anything less has no place in the Singapore Artillery."

"All artillery officers remember that line," noted the 62-year-old. "For myself, it was most memorable because our training was real tough, and we were really pushed to the limit."

The magnitude of Dr Goh's immense legacy in the defence arena was not lost on the present generation of SAF servicemen who also made the trip to the Parliament House, both individually and as units, to pay their respects.

Said Military Expert (ME) 3 Harbahjan, a coxswain from the Institute of Maritime Operations and Systems: "Dr Goh was a great man, and I've read a lot about him and what he's done for Singapore. He built up a strong defence system, and today, we're enjoying the fruits of his labour."ME3 Johari Nahrim, an instructor from the SAF Medical Training Institute, agreed, adding: "He was the leader and father of the SAF. His hard work has helped to ensure Singapore's security, and it's thanks to him that the SAF has grown from strength to strength."To ME1 Charles William, an Air Operation Systems Expert from Paya Lebar Air Base, the setting up of NS was Dr Goh's most significant contribution to defence. "He recognised that being a small country, we needed all our manpower, because manpower is Singapore's only natural resource," he said. "NS plays a very important role in all our lives. For myself, it has made me more aware of the importance of my contribution as a solider, and I believe that every Singaporean, male or female, has a part to play."