What could be learnt from Dr Goh's past ......?

Courage, optimism and "can-do" spirit :

When he became Finance Minister, he faced formidable challenges: widespread poverty, high unemployment, poor resource endowment, a small domestic market and industrial strife. In 1965, when Singapore was asked to leave Malaysia, Singapore lost its hinterland. In the face of such odds, Dr Goh never despaired. He had courage, optimism and a can-do spirit.
[ Keppel FELS has probably learnt from the word "Can-do" and by now it probably has rank second-to-none in rig building business world ! Maybe this is a bit of an overstatement ....:)

Most problems have solutions:

If we think hard enough, there are solutions to most problems. After Singapore exited Malaysia, he has made the world our hinterland. He swam against the tide by inviting multinational corporations to invest in Singapore. He made 'profit' a good word instead of a bad word. He created a pro-business environment which made Singapore stand out in the Third World.

Defy conventional wisdom:

We should think for ourselves and not be a slavish follower of conventional wisdom and fashionable theories.

For example, he was not afraid to deviate from Keynesian economics and the Western ideological bias against industrial policy. He would insist on thorough homework and he would study the experiences of others but, in the end, adopt a solution which fitted our circumstances and worked.

Build institutions:

He has built many new institutions. Most have endured and prospered. Many charismatic leaders of the Third World have made the mistake of using their charisma, instead of institutions, to get things done. He has made and left Singapore with a rich legacy of strong institutions.

Secure Singapore's prosperity and independence:

The people in government - both politicians and civil servants - must be focused, not on their personal agenda but on securing the prosperity of Singapore and protecting her sovereignty and independence. In many countries, both developed and developing, people aspire to public office in order to enrich themselves. He took up public office in Singapore just like joining a holy order.

Respect and help the poor :

One of the purposes of government is to make the world a little less unfair for the poor, the disabled and the disadvantaged. He started his professional life in the social welfare department and he represented Kreta Ayer, one of the poorest constituencies in Singapore, he never looked down upon or ignored the interests of the little people. Singapore's ruling elite respects and cares for its poorer citizens.

Ideas are important :

He respected scholarship, research and ideas. He founded the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, the predecessor of the East Asia Institute of the National University of Singapore, and others. He was well-read and enjoyed meeting and picking the brains of scholars and thinkers.

Go beyond material things :

Dr Goh was a well-rounded individual. He loved music and founded the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He created the Chinese and Japanese gardens in Jurong. He was also the founder of the Jurong BirdPark and the Zoo. The eighth lesson is that life is more than making money and eating well. It is also about learning to enjoy music, communing with nature and marvelling at the splendours of the bird and animal kingdoms.

Lead a simple and frugal life :

He is thrifty and is legendary. Even when he could well afford it, he continued to live a simple and frugal life. He shunned ostentation and consumerism. When he was at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, he apologised to visitor for the size of his office. I do not think he would approve of the trend in Singapore where some wealthy citizens flaunt their wealth and lead self-indulgent lives.  Not only the wealthy, also those youngsters nowadays sinking their pocket into condominiums, luxury items, like cars, club memberships,etc and some of the riches may have forgotten to take some portion of their wealth and share them with the less fortunate and charitable organisations.

Never stop being curious :

The last lesson is that one should always be curious and never stop thinking of new ideas. Dr Goh's interests spanned an incredible spectrum. He had a child-like curiosity about the world and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. [ There are lots of thing to learn, especially in our kind of business of rig designing and building. The more knowledge and lesson learnts from the industry and institutions, the better you are in working out a solution to the day to day problem, be it design, commissioning, production,etc. ]