Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Chief of Staff – Joint Staff (COS-JS), Brigadier-General (BG) Goh Pei Ming has stepped down from the military, raising speculation that he will be a potential People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate fielded in the upcoming General Election.
According to Zaobao, the brigadier-general confirmed in a phone interview on Tuesday (Apr 1) that Monday (Mar 31) was his last day in the military. However, he declined to comment on his next move.
Goh quietly launched his Facebook page last Saturday (Mar 29). He currently serves as chairman of the Kampong Chai Chee Community Club management committee.
In recent posts on his profile, he reflected on his journey as a military commander. One fellow serviceman even commented, “Congrats on putting on a new white uniform!” — a cheeky nod to the white attire worn by PAP candidates.
Aged 43, Goh is a recipient of the SAF Overseas Scholarship. He studied at Dunman High School and Victoria Junior College, before graduating from Cornell University with a degree in civil engineering. He also holds a Master’s in defence studies from King’s College London in Britain, and a master’s in management science and engineering from Stanford University in the US.
During his SAF career, he held several senior leadership roles, including Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, Commander of the 3rd Division, and Director of Joint Operations. He also participated in overseas missions in Afghanistan.
Goh was the Chairman of the National Day Parade (NDP) Show Committee in both 2018 and 2022.
His exit from the SAF makes him the third senior military figure recently linked to a possible PAP candidacy.
Earlier, Dinesh Vasu Dash, former Chief Executive of Vanguard Healthcare and a retired Brigadier-General who served in SAF for over 20 years appeared at grassroots events alongside the PAP East Coast GRC team. He previously commanded the 2 People’s Defence Force (2 PDF).
Another potential candidate is David Neo, the former Army Chief who stepped down on March 21. As of now, he has not yet made any public appearances in the community.
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The Ministry of Defence confirmed to Lianhe Zaobao that both Goh Pei Ming and David Neo officially left the SAF on Tuesday (Apr 1).
