Philip Yeo
Going out in a whimper
Here’s another view Singapore’s top bureaucrat from A-Star by urbanrant
Mar 19, 2007

No matter how you seem to spin it, one cannot but feel that Philip Yeo has failed in Singapore’s big bet on bioscience.

With the recent spat between Lee Wei Ling and Philip, one may get the impression that the views on the ‘success’ of this man is more open to debate than generally assumed.

The fact that the mainstream media and the political mouth piece of the government has given so much coverage to the matter plus its seeming willingness to continue to fan the controversy just before the exit of Philip Yeo from the prestigious agency all point to the fact that the star (which used to shine on him) may indeed be waning.

I think what is worth pointing, is what is not specifically mentioned in the ChannelNewsAsia reporting.

The following was reported by CNA, based on Philip Yeo’s recount of the sequence of events:

“In his speech, Mr Yeo also recounted how he was asked by the then Trade and Industry Minister to be Chairman of the Economic Development Board in 1985 when Singapore was in its first recession.

But when he consulted former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee, he was advised to take charge of Singapore Airlines instead.

Subsequently, Mr Yeo spoke personally to then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who advised him to go to EDB as he was needed there.”

In choosing to focus on how he came to EDB, Philip Yeo recounted his encounters with then Trade Minister, Goh Keng Swee and Lee Kuan Yew. He probably intended to mention that his own meteoric rise was a result of his mentor.

He seemed to say that “Look, I was Lee Kuan Yew’s man, even Goh Keng Swee’s opinion and instructions cannot touch me”.

By choosing to specifically single out that event, my guess that it was his way of saying that he is a protected man; as if to forestall what else may come his way.

Also do you realize that it was Lee Kuan Yew who invited Philip Yeo to EDB. Goh Chok Tong who moved him to A*Star and to lead the biomedical research.

But it is now Lee’s child, Hsien Loong who decides that Philip Yeo’s immense talent is required in a small safety standards body that most people do not equate with much strategic importance for Singapore.

The sad thing about this man is that he still believes in himself so much that perhaps his view from his helicopter is so different from reality down here on solid ground.

To me, he was a man who was appointed Singapore’s most powerful (Lee Kuan Yew and then-Goh Chok Tong) to the most strategically important Singapore investment.

But when Philip Yeo’s term came to an end, his farewell was done without much fanfare.

It was a hosted lunch (not a dinner). And only Lim Hng Kiang (yes, just a trade minister) was the there to send him off.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

http://urbanrant.blogspot.com/2007/03/philip-yeo-going-out-in-whimper.html