CHEONG Quee Wah
The Public Service,
Accession Number 001611
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 12
Total Reels
- Irene Quah (Mrs)
Interviewer
- 06:07:13
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
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Reel/Disc 2 of 12
Metadata
- 21 Mar 1995
Recording Date
- 00:29:52
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:55) Adapting to life in Canada. Did not know much about Canada.
(0:04:41) Hostel life and foreign students.
(0:07:21) Campus life. How studying overseas changed his outlook.
(0:12:29) What motivated him to further his studies.
(0:17:06) Why he rushed back home to get a job. Dividing his time between career, family, studies and part-time National Service in the Special Constabulary.
(0:23:22) Served his National Service in the Police Force.
(0:27:50) Started his career in the Industrial Research Unit (IRU) of the Economic Development Board (EDB).
Adapting to life in Canada. Campus life. How studying overseas changed his outlook. What motivated him to further his studies. Why he rushed back home to get a job. How he divided his time between career, family, studies and part-time National Service in the Special Constabulary. National Service in the Police Force. Started his career in the Industrial Research Unit (IRU) of the Economic Development Board (EDB).
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Reel/Disc 3 of 12
Metadata
- 6 Apr 1995
Recording Date
- 00:31:11
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:07) His secondment to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) as the Project director for Missile Gunboat project.
(0:06:16) Complex project that required assistance from the German, Dutch, Israelis, Swedish, British and Americans.
(0:09:13) Decision to have five contractors. Conditions of the contract.
(0:15:19) Missile Gunboat Project was part of development of the Navy. His role as the Project Director.
(0:19:04) Challenges faced during systems integration.
(0:22:09) Germans passed technology to Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE) to build four ships for the Singapore Navy.
(0:29:15) Capabilities of the completed missile gunboats.
Circumstances which led to his secondment to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Planning and development of the Missile Gunboat Project. Complex project that required assistance from the German, Dutch, Israelis, Swedish, British and Americans. Decision to have five contractors. Missile Gunboat Project was part of development of the Navy. His role as Project Director. Integration of the foreign systems together in the missile. Building of four ships for the Navy in Singapore. Capabilities of the completed missile gunboats.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 12
Metadata
- 6 Apr 1995
Recording Date
- 00:31:16
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:26) Why the Gabriel missile system was chosen for the missile gunboats.
(0:06:10) Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE) awarded licence to build missile gunboats for other countries.
(0:10:00) Training for navy personnel to operate missile gunboats.
(0:14:13) Left the project in 1973 before it was completed. Learnt “people management” during the project.
(0:17:11) Co-ordination between the Americans and the Israelis contractors was most difficult.
(0:23:05) Problems faced between the American and the Singaporean staff.
(0:26:35) Beginnings of the System Integration and Management Team (SIMT). Secondment to Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE) as General Manager.
Why the Gabriel missile system was chosen for the missile gunboats. Missile gunboats were later built for other countries by Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE). Training was provided for navy personnel to operate the missile gunboats. Left the project in 1973 before it was completed. Learnt "people management" during the project. Found co-ordination between Americans and Israelis contractors the most difficult due to political reasons. Problems faced between American and Singaporean staff. Beginnings of the System Integration and Management Team (SIMT). Circumstances which led to his secondment to SSE as General Manager.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 12
Metadata
- 6 Apr 1995
Recording Date
- 00:27:53
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:07) Sudden appointment as the “temporary” General Manager of Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE). No major restructuring at SSE.
(0:05:03) Lessons learnt while running a shipyard. Big difference between running a commercial company and a government department.
(0:11:25) Returned to the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) as the Director of Manpower.
(0:16:44) Duties as the Director of Manpower.
(0:19:43) Impressions of working with Dr Goh Keng Swee, the Minister of Defence and Mr Pang Tee Pow, the Permanent Secretary, Mindef.
(0:24:04) Pang was a thorough man. Very detailed. Goh had a character of being impatient, very demanding and very tough with work.
Adjustment to his sudden appointment as General Manager of Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE). No major restructuring at SSE. Lessons learnt while running a shipyard. Transferred to the Administrative Service in 1975. Job responsibilities as Director of Manpower in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Impressions of working with Dr. Goh Keng Swee, Minister for Defence, and Mr. Pang Tee Pow, Permanent Secretary, MINDEF.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 12
Metadata
- 5 May 1995
Recording Date
- 00:30:56
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:09) Beginnings of the Oral History Unit in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).
(0:05:45) Differences in the management of a government-linked company and a ministry.
(0:13:16) Reasons for setting up the Sheng-Li Holdings under MINDEF.
(0:16:50) His vision for Sheng-Li Holdings when he was the Chairman.
(0:20:46) Singapore Electronics and Electrical Limited (SEEL) was set up to support the Air Force.
(0:23:00) Believed that mistakes made by civil servants were harder to trace than those in private firms.
(0:27:12) Problems he faced when he took over as Chairman of SEEL and Singapore Aerospace Maintenance Company (SAMCO).
Beginnings of the Oral History Unit in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Difference in management of a government-linked company and a ministry. Reasons for setting up Sheng-Li Holdings under Ministry of Defence. His vision for Sheng-Li Holdings when he was its Chairman. Singapore Electronics and Electrical Limited (SEEL) set up to support the Air Force. Believes that mistakes made by civil servants are harder to trace than those in private companies. Need to make quick decisions in the ministry. Problems he faced when he took over as Chairman of SEEL and Singapore Aerospace Maintenance Company (SAMCO).
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Reel/Disc 7 of 12
Metadata
- 5 May 1995
Recording Date
- 00:30:58
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:06) Managed to change the attitudes of staff in Singapore Electronics and Electrical Limited (SEEL) and Singapore Aerospace Maintenance Company (SAMCO). Replacing expatriates with local personnel.
(0:04:43) Financial difficulties faced by Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE) in the 1970s and how he overcame them.
(0:08:24) Reduced value of SSE shares. Pegging the share at 40 cents.
(0:15:48) “Limited” participation as the Chairman of Sheng-Li.
(0:19:16) Managing his time between government-linked companies and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).
(0:23:10) Keys to a successful Permanent Secretary and Minister working relationship.
Managed to change attitudes of staff in Singapore Electronics and Electrical Limited (SEEL) and Singapore Aerospace Maintenance Company (SAMCO). Replacing expatriates with local personnel. Financial difficulties faced by Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering (SSE) in the 1970s and how he overcame them. Reduced value of SSE shares. Role of the Board of Directors of Sheng-Li Holdings. Managing his time between the government-linked companies (GLCs) he was involved in, and his work in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Factors he considered for a successful working relationship between a Permanent Secretary and the Minister.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 12
Metadata
- 29 May 1995
Recording Date
- 00:30:24
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:05) Problems of national service enlistment he had to face as the Director of Manpower in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).
(0:04:15) Small population. Long-term problem of the army was the result of family planning in the 1960s.
(0:09:47) Why option to recruit girls for national service was not taken up.
(0:12:45) Take-over of Singapore Aerospace Maintenance Company (SAMCO) from Lockheed.
(0:15:07) Did not receive any training to run an aircraft maintenance company. He was selected due to his engineering background.
(0:19:00) Occasions when there were differences between himself and Ministers of Defence.
(0:25:36) Howe Yoon Chong gave financial priority to the Air Force. The Chief of Staff saw the Army as the backbone of Singapore’s defence.
Problems of national service enlistment that he had to face as Director of Manpower in the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). Long-term problem of the army was the result of family planning in the 1960s. Why option to recruit girls for national service was not taken up. Take-over of Singapore Aerospace Maintenance Company (SAMCO) from Lockheed. Received no training to run an aircraft maintenance company. Occasions when there were major differences between himself and the various Ministers of Defence. Howe Yoon Chong gave financial priority to the Air Force, but Chief of General Staff saw the Army as the backbone of Singapore's defence.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 12
Metadata
- 29 May 1995
Recording Date
- 00:31:24
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
(0:00:41) His views on the Civil Service adopting the Public Personnel Management System.
(0:02:57) Initial apprehensions among civil servants about how their “Current Estimated Potential” was gauged.
(0:06:24) How employers gauged the qualities of their employees.
(0:11:28) How to find out if an officer has the HAIR (Helicopter View, Power of Analysis, Imagination and Sense of Reality) qualities?
(0:15:34) Introduction of the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system in 1983. Studying the Japanese system of policing.
(0:20:15) Training of police personnel for NPP. Problems faced setting up the police posts.
(0:26:35) Impact of the implementation of the NPP system. Beginnings of Civil Defence.
His views on the Civil Service adopting the Public Personnel Management System. Initial apprehensions among civil servants about how their "Current Estimated Potential" was gauged. How employers gauged the qualities of their employees. Introduction of the Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) system in 1983. Studying the Japanese system of policing. Training of police personnel for NPP. Problems faced setting up the police posts. Impact of the implementation of the NPP system. Beginnings of Civil Defence.
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