Goh Pei Ming talks about shaping policy and making time for family

“(There is) a lot to learn; a lot to be exposed to. A lot of the things that I’m doing now are totally new compared with what my previous career in the military was like,” he said.

The career move meant more than swopping army uniforms for well-pressed suits.

He had to get used to working across different ministries within the civil service, compared with what he described as “kind of a closed ecosystem” in the military.

Rather than assume he knows how things are done, he makes it a point to clarify, said Goh.

He said his time in the Singapore Armed Forces has given him a “good grounding”, shaping how he leads and makes decisions.

Goh had risen to Chief of Staff – Joint Staff in the SAF and coordinated efforts between the army, navy and air force. His responsibilities over the years included handling resource management for the armed forces, overseeing joint operations and engaging foreign counterparts.

Also under his belt are organising large events such as the National Day Parade and tackling national crises like Covid-19 in migrant workers’ dormitories.

“All these have given me a very rich palette of experiences that I can draw on,” he said.

Home affairs work is similar to that at the Ministry of Defence, while social and family development work is closer to his community and grassroots experience. Goh was a grassroots volunteer in East Coast for 17 years before joining politics.

On his recent promotion, he said: “With the word ‘senior’, what I feel from it is the responsibility for me to do even more. The weight on my shoulders has grown, and I have to work even harder to live up to the expectations within the two ministries.”

But his approach to work remains the same. It is still about engaging the ground and working closely with the civil service.

Behind his drive are his three children, aged 12, nine and six. He wants to help shape policies so that they will have a future.

Being a father also lets him “stay honest” when thinking about policy.

“If my (children) find it hard to understand, or I have a hard time explaining it to them, it may be a policy that’s too complicated,” he mused.

Political life also means much less time at home. Goh is grateful for his wife, who “does more than her fair share” in parenting, especially as they prepare for their oldest son’s Primary School Leaving Examination in 2026.

He tries to carve out protected time with his family, like sending his children to school every morning and having dinner at least once a week at home.

“One thing I remind myself often is that I must be able to look back in years to come and make sure I have no regrets with regards to family life, and that I’ve not missed certain parts of their childhood,” said Goh.

Joining politics in a walkover

Beyond his ministerial duties, Goh is also an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC. He was part of a five-person People’s Action Party team that won the constituency in 2025, in Singapore’s first walkover since 2011.

The results caught him by surprise.

“Coming from the military, I’m definitely not one to shy away from a tough fight,” he said.

With no opposition contest, Goh and his volunteers wasted no time hitting the ground to build rapport with residents.

Another unexpected development came in July, when former acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs and one of Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC’s MPs Faishal Ibrahim resigned from political office, Parliament and the PAP over inappropriate interactions with a female member of the public.

Goh said it was a pity to lose him as part of the team, but they respected Faishal for making the “responsible decision to step away”.

The other four MPs stepped in to cover Faishal at constituency events and house visits, and divided responsibilities for his former Kembangan ward among themselves.

Lawyer Ahmad Firdaus Daud, a PAP reserve candidate for the 2025 General Election, was appointed second grassroots adviser in the ward in September.

Constituency work is the “more fun” part of his job, said Goh. He visibly lightened up when the topic came up, saying that attending community events sometimes helps him destress.

The pressure of his political life had weighed on him at the start. He was worried about not knowing enough and how his words would be perceived.

Over time, he has learnt that it is more important for him to be able to stand by his decisions and explain them “hand to heart”.

Ultimately, Goh holds himself to the larger goal of serving the majority of the population and leaving the country better off in the long run.

“I think that’s something that I will be able to live with when I look back.”