Goh Meng Seng describes himself as a “street fighter”. SIX-SIX.COM caught up with the 15-year opposition politician to find out just what drives him to carry on.
Not every politician might be flattered to be called an “Ah Beng politician,” but People’s Power Party (PPP) Secretary-General Goh Meng Seng, sees no shame in this moniker.
“I’m still a street fighter to the core. I’m a hands-on man,” he says, highlighting his commitment to speaking to everyday Singaporeans like the Ah Ma and the Beer Uncle.
According to him, the incumbent People’s Action Party (PAP) has lost touch with these folks due to the high salaries they earn as Ministers. There should not be such incentives to join public service, he thinks.
If you were to go by what Goh says, this apparent materialism is akin to a malaise that has infected not just Parliament but society.
People have lost values, he says, with severity. “We have to talk about bread and butter issues, livelihood and cost of jobs, but what about morals?”
“Morals” and “values” are buzzwords that pop up whenever he talks about his foray into politics.
All in the family
Politics is “in his blood,” says Goh Meng Seng. As a boy, he would read the newspapers with his father.
“Whenever he spotted something wrong, he will scold the government.”
This exercise with his father sensitised him to social injustices. It seems the interest in current affairs has not just rubbed off on him but his daughter too.
Speaking about politics at the dinner table is not rude in the Goh family and is in fact encouraged. “She likes current affairs like her father,” he says with a tinge of pride.
However, while his daughter is quite aware about local politics, she studies in Hong Kong. Goh says he sent her there to prevent her from being “indoctrinated” by Singapore’s political system.
Nevertheless, he gets her to travel to Singapore every now and then so that she would not lose touch with her country.
On one of those trips back this year, his daughter had expressed scepticism over the National Day songs played repeatedly during this year’s SG50 celebrations to mark Singapore’s Golden Jubilee.
“Papa, why do they keep repeating these songs. It’s like brainwashing,” Goh says, imitating his daughter’s tone.
His daughter lives with his wife in Hong Kong. When asked if his political career affected his family, Goh says that his family understands.
“I think I am blessed. I cannot sustain my political career without the support from my family.”
The noble economist
Goh is a Chinese-educated student who graduated with an Honours Degree in economics. His perspective on politics is informed by this background.
He says the sacrifice one has to make for public service is rooted in Chinese values. He feels that in order for those in power to stay honest, they should serve only two terms in office before stepping down — a seeming jibe at Singapore’s Prime Ministers who have stayed longer in office than that.
Goh considers himself a democratic socialist and uses economics jargon to explain his political goals. On the topic of maids in Singapore whose rights have been violated, he says the difficulty they face is due to the “asymmetric positioning” between them and their employers.
He acknowledges, though, that social justice and economics do not always go hand in hand. A balance must be struck somehow, he says.
When he is pressed about what specific policies he would like to implement to tackle such issues, he seems to dodge the questions at first, though later, he says the difficulty opposition politicians face when proposing alternative policies is the lack of figures by the government on current policies.
On the hardship he has faced championing issues for the underdog, Goh says being a politician “is a painful process”. He then pauses for a perceptible moment before saying the “ROI (Return of Investment) is actually negative”.
He says, though, that it’s bo pien — not a matter of choice — that he carries on in politics.
“There are a lot of people around me who encourage me to carry on because they feel I am already in it with a certain political capital. It’s not easy to groom people (for politics) in the Singapore context.”
*This article was corrected after Goh Meng Seng’s party affiliation was wrongly reported. We apologise for the error.
Source: www.six-six.com
