Not for Circulation: The George E. Bogaars Story

by Bertha Henson

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.
 

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published April 22, 2022

About the author

Bertha Henson worked in the Singapore Press Holdings stable of newspapers for 26 years, her last designation being Associate Editor of The Straits Times, Singapore’s national broadsheet. In 2012, she left the organisation to start her own media consultancy, Newsmakers, and to teach at the National University of Singapore. She is Journalist-in-residence at Tembusu College in NUS. She started blogging at Bertha Harian the day after she left SPH employment and launched Breakfast Network, a semi-professional news and views website with friends and undergraduates in early 2013. The website closed its operations at the end of the year because she and fellow editors declined to meet registration requirements imposed by the Media Development Authority. She still blogs at Bertha Harian and The Middle Ground.

Reviews

[Sivasothi N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to unravel the story of George E Bogaars, a man who saw civil service as an unheralded role. And we regret that when giants like him, who played an immense role are lost to us.

Bertha Henson did an immense job to try to piece a narrative but for sure, a lot eludes the story. Still it was an immense pleasure to get to know something of a man I had only sensed from other accounts.

I love that his daughter explains how he was happy after retirement, an intellectual, always a servant to others, and who delighted in fellowship. Much is owed to individuals like these.

[sbs transit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insane stuff... Need to round out the rest of the memoirs/biographies pertaining to figures in the 60s and maybe by the time I finish the leaders of the 2000s would've started putting out their works.

[Durian Jaykin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Calls him Singapore's spymaster, yet book mentions nothing about his spywork. Waste of time if you're looking for information on the ISD and the SID

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

cool getting to read about my grandfather. wish i could have met him! what an important guy in singaporean history.