According to Lee Kuan Yew, his preferred successor was Tony Tan; however Goh was selected by the second generation of PAP leaders that included Tony Tan, Suppiah Dhanabalan, and Ong Teng Cheong, and Lee accepted their decision.
Enligt Lee Kuan Yew var hans favorit som efterträdare Tony Tan, men Goh valdes av den andra generationen PAP-ledare, som Tony Tan, S Dhanabalan och Ong Teng Cheong, och Lee accepterade deras beslut.