If you fail once, just try and try again.

That seems to be the adage that entrepreneur George Goh abides by.

In an interview with local celebrity host Belinda Lee, the 63-year-old presidential hopeful shared how he'd embarked on getting a degree in music in 2010, at the age of 50.

And not just any music degree, but one specialising in classical opera, from Trinity College London.

"I went back for lessons to sing tenor [at the time]," Goh stated in the Facebook video published on Thursday (June 22), adding how his teacher had asked him to consider taking the exam as he had "some foundation".

"I thought maybe [it's a] good idea, [as] I want to get my degree," he shared.

But the journey was an uphill task which unexpectedly took more than a decade.

"I took the first exam, I failed. I took on the second one, I failed again," he added.

His repeated failures within a 12-year span also prompted his teacher to try and put a stop to his efforts.

"My teacher asked me, 'George, please don't take any more exams, because you've failed too many times," Goh explained.

When asked why he didn't give up, Goh shared his thoughts that he perhaps did not "belong to that category" of people for whom success comes quickly.

"I said 'no, I've gone so far already, it has been almost 12 years," said Goh of his decision to press on.

Goh eventually passed on his fifth try last year, stating that he got "73 out of a hundred" marks.

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"So I'm happy, at the age of 62, not many people can sing, and the song is very difficult," he added. In the interview, Lee shared that Goh was awarded an honours degree in music performance, "specifically in classical opera".

Looking misty-eyed, Goh shared how his sister had congratulated him on his achievement, stating, "We're very proud of you".

"My father and mother would have been very proud, right? If they were still around, but they're not around, but it's ok," said Goh, appearing to hold back tears.

"I talked to my mother, I said 'I made it, I got my certificate now'."

Growing up in a poor family

An equally emotional Lee could be seen wiping away tears at several points in the interview, as she praised Goh for the "tenacity" shown in his entrepreneurship journey as well.

In the 11-minute-long interview posted on Goh's Facebook page, the group executive chairman of Ossia International touched on his growing-up years being "very poor" and living in a home with no running water nor electricity.

According to his personal website, Goh dropped out of school at a young age and worked as a sweeper in a shoe-manufacturing factor to help support the family. 

Goh also detailed how a "big argument" between him and his older brother sparked off his journey as an entrepreneur.

"We were discussing about the poverty of my family [and how] we cannot continue this way," he stated. Deciding that "enough was enough", Goh then set up a factory along with his twin brother and a friend.

According to his website, Goh started a shoe-manufacturing business using a capital of $5,000 in "hard-earned savings and assistance" from his sister.

"If I believe myself to be just a general worker, I will continue to be a general worker," he added of his thoughts at the time.

In the interview, Goh also discussed his position as a non-resident ambassador to Morocco, a post he held since 2017. In order to contest the election, Goh tendered his resignation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this month.

"As an entrepreneur you take risks, right? As a diplomat you cannot, you need to be very careful," he stated, detailing how he had a hand in the setting up of an honorary consulate-general office in Casablanca.

Goh is in the running as an independent candidate at the upcoming Presidential Election, which have to be called by Sept 13. Goh is up against Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who announced his decision to run for president on June 8.

ALSO READ: George Goh 'does not visit pubs, nightclubs', has no pending lawsuits against him: Statement

candicecai@asiaone.com

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