Early 1961 : Establishment of the Economic Development Board

“I understood that the EDB was going to be set up and I was going to head it. Two major things took place:

  1. We brought out a man called E. Mayer from Israel to advise us on the setting up of the Board;
  2. We engaged a team headed by Albert Winsemius from the United nations to plan out the strategies.”

“Both Mayer and Winsemius agreed that the EDB should be a private enterprise.” Goh Keng Swee was very enthusiastic about this idea and “I felt that sooner or later I would be eased out even if I headed the EDB.”

“I did not share Keng Swee’s deep belief in private enterprise but I always held him in great regard.”