Goh Chok Tong said that back in 1993, he had to reassure an unemployed Kenneth Jeyaretnam that he would not face difficulties in getting a job because of the latter’s father’s standing as an opposition politician.

Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s father, Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam (more commonly known JBJ), was a politician and senior lawyer. He was the leader of the Workers’ Party from 1971 to 2001.

In a Facebook post on December 8, Mr Goh congratulated JBJ’s younger son, Philip Jeyaretnam on his appointment as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

Mr Goh added that in 1993, Kenneth Jeyaretnam wrote to him about his difficulties in getting a job in Singapore because his father was in Opposition politics.

“I had replied to him with a letter which says that “the Government has nothing against you and no employer will be disadvantaged by employing you.””, Mr Goh wrote.

He said that he even added that Mr Jeyaretnam could show his letter to prospective employers.

“In Singapore, the politics of a parent will not be visited on his or her children”, said Mr Goh, using the younger Mr Jeyaretnam’s appointment as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court as an example. /TISG

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