Not for Circulation: The George E. Bogaars Story (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9789813251625)

The story of George Bogaars, a civil servant who played a key role in Singapore's political history.

Do civil servants make a difference? Can they shape history? In 1985 when John Drysdale published one of the first books on the political history of independent Singapore, George E. Bogaars wrote to his daughter with typical understatement, "I feature in it a bit." Bogaars headed the special branch at the time of Operation Cold Store. He reported directly to pioneer leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee before they became political icons. He started the Singapore Armed Forces from scratch when he was Permanent Secretary of the Interior and Defence. He was the head of the civil service, involved in a dozen or so government-linked companies attempting to shore up the country's infrastructure, and expand its business portfolio. He held the country's purse strings when he moved into the finance ministry before his retirement at the age of fifty-five. His impressive resume belies a colorful, flamboyant character with a wicked sense of humor. Veteran Singaporean journalist Bertha Henson tells his story.


Author: Bertha Henson
ISBN-10: 981325162X
ISBN-13: 9789813251625
Publisher: National University of Singapore Press
Language: English
Published: 04/22/2022
Pages: 208
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.91w x 0.79d