In a Facebook post on his page, Goh Chok Tong talked about Tan Cheng Bock's speech during PSP's launch.
Tan mentioned about Lee Kuan Yew inviting him to join the PAP in two parts of his speech:
“Speaking up is not in gratitude or betrayal. Lee Kuan Yew made it clear when he asked me to join him, to join his party, and he said when I told him I was not enamoured of the PAP.
He said “I don’t want yes men,” he said. So I joined him. And I did not hesitate to speak when I disagreed.”
and
“I was called by him to join the work of nation building. I remember we spoke for quite some time because I told him I was not enamoured with the PAP, but he told me ‘I need you to come forward. To take Singapore to the next level of growth.’
He impressed me with the passion to serve the country, to build the country up. That call was so touching, so strong that I joined him in spite of my reservations.
And he said, ‘if you don’t come up, don’t blame me,’ he said. ‘If I take second-rate people to take your place.’ That is a very powerful message.”
Goh then decided to take it upon himself to write his own post claiming that he should have some credit for Tan joining PAP:
“Tan Cheng Bock says that Lee Kuan Yew invited him to join the PAP. Ouch! He omits to say that I put his name up to LKY."
He also continues to take a low blow and tried to insinuate that Tan has fallen and is only thinking about himself when creating the party:
Surely I deserve some credit — or rather, blame — for who he has become now?
“For Country, For People”. He has conveniently left out “For Me”!
Tan Cheng Bock was my classmate in Raffles Institution. I have known him close for over 60 years. It saddens me to see how he has “lost his way”. He is like Don Quixote tilting at windmills.
For those who are unfamiliar with Don Quixote, it's a novel by Miguel de Cervantes about an ageing noble who believed that windmills are ferocious giants and therefore attacked the windmills with his lance.
Is Goh trying to insinuate that Tan is growing senile? Or does Goh really believe that Tan has no reason to start another party to fight for Singapore and against the incumbent as Singapore is all rainbows and sunshine? If so, Goh should be the one tilting at windmills for thinking that way don't you think?
