Description

It is said that the duty of public servants is to “speak truth to power” ? to give honest, sound and sometimes unpopular advice to political leaders. Underneath the narrative of the Singapore story, as personified by Lee Kuan Yew and the first-generation leaders, lie the lesser-known tales of dedicated public servants in the nation-building process. Singapore’s development cannot be fully understood without considering the role of those in public service during the transition to independence from the 1950s to 60s.

Featuring oral history interviews from the National Archives of Singapore with 11 pioneer public servants, Speaking Truth to Power: Singapore’s Pioneer Public Servants reveals first-hand, personal accounts of the civil service’s transition from the colonial era, their relationship with the political leaders, and how Singapore’s economic development was driven by sound public administration in those critical years. The annotated interviews make for an easily readable format for researchers and general audiences alike.

Some of Singapore’s pioneer public servants featured in the book include: Wee Chong Jin, The First Local Chief Justice
Goh Koh Pui, Chairman of the PSA
Abdul Wahab Ghows, Solicitor-General and High Court Judge
Hedwig Anuar, Director of the National Library
Kwa Soon Bee, Pioneer of Singapore’s Healthcare System
Alan Choe, HDB’s First Architect-Planner, and Founder of the URA
Chan Chin Bock, Chairman of the EDB
J. Y. Pillay, The Man Behind Singapore Airlines
Ngiam Tong Dow, The Maverick Perm Sec
Tommy Koh, Singapore’s Representative at the United Nations
Winston Choo, The First Chief of Defence Force