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Yusof bin Ishak (12 August 191023 November 1970) was a Singaporean politician and journalist who served as the first
president of Singapore The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the reserves and the integrity of the public service. The presidency is largely ceremonial, with the Cabinet led by the prime ...
from 1965 until his death in 1970. Prior to becoming
head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...
, Yusof was a well-known
journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
who co-founded '' Utusan Melayu'', a daily newspaper that was in circulation until 9 October 2019. He started journalism after graduating from
Raffles Institution Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
in 1929, and joined ''Warta Malaya'', a well-known Malay newspaper company, in 1932. He left the company in 1938 and co-founded ''Utusan Melayu''. Yusof held many appointments within the Singapore Government. He served on the Film Appeal Committee between 1948 and 1950, and was a member of both the Nature Reserves Committee and Malayanisation Commission for a year. In July 1959, he was appointed Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC). He was sworn in on 3 December that year as
Yang di-Pertuan Negara Yang di-Pertuan Negara (English: (he) who is Lord of the State) is a title for the head of state in certain Malay-speaking countries, and has been used as an official title at various times in Brunei and Singapore. Sabah The head of state of Sa ...
of Singapore after the
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (abbreviation: PAP) is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and ...
(PAP) won the first election to be held after Singapore's move to self-governance. Yusof later became the first president of Singapore after the country gained independence on 9 August 1965. After serving three terms in office, Yusof died on 23 November 1970 due to heart failure. His portrait appears on the Singapore Portrait Series currency notes introduced in 1999.


Early life

Born on 12 August 1910 in Kampung Padang Gajah,
Terong Terong ( Jawi: تروڠ; zh, 直弄) is a mukim in Larut, Matang and Selama District, Perak Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, ...
, Taiping,
Perak Darul Ridzuan Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
, which was then part of the
Federated Malay States )Under God's Protection , capital = Kuala Lumpur1 , religion = Islam , legislature = Federal Legislative Council , type_house1 = State level , common_languages = , title_leader = Monarch , leader1 ...
(now
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
), Yusof was the eldest son in the family of nine. He was of Minangkabau descent from his paternal side while his mother was a Malay from the
Langkat The Sultanate of Langkat () was a Malay Muslim state located in modern Langkat Regency, North Sumatra. It predates Islam in the region, but no historical records before the 17th century survive. It prospered with the opening of rubber plantatio ...
region in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
. His father, Ishak bin Ahmad, was a civil servant and held the post of Acting Director of Fisheries, Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. His brother, Aziz Ishak, was a Malayan journalist and freedom fighter. Yusof received his early education in a Malay school located in Kuala Kurau, Perak and began his English studies in 1921 at King Edward VII School in Taiping. He attended Victoria Bridge School in 1923 when his father was posted to Singapore. In 1924, he enrolled into
Raffles Institution Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
for his secondary education. During his time in Raffles Institution, he played various sports such as swimming, weight lifting, water polo, boxing, hockey and cricket, and had also represented the school in various sporting events. He was also part of the National Cadet Corps and was commissioned as the first ever cadet
officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
in the Corps due to his outstanding performance. Yusof received his Cambridge School Certificate with distinction in 1927 and was awarded the
Queen's Scholarship A President's Scholar is a recipient of the academic scholarship awarded by the Government of Singapore annually, to pursue undergraduate education at a university, usually abroad. The scholarship is considered to be the most prestigious public ...
but decided to prolong his studies at Raffles Institution until 1929.


Career

After graduating from
Raffles Institution Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
in 1929, Yusof started his career as a journalist and went into partnership with two other friends to publish, ''Sportsman'', a sports magazine devoted entirely to sports. In 1932, Yusof joined ''Warta Malaya'', a well-known newspaper during that time. ''Warta Malaya'' was heavily influenced by developments in the Middle East and Yusof wanted a newspaper dedicated to Malay issues. He fulfilled his vision by establishing '' Utusan Melayu'' with several Malay leaders in Singapore in May 1939. During the
Japanese occupation of Singapore , officially , was the name for Singapore when it was occupied and ruled by the Empire of Japan, following the fall and surrender of British military forces on 15 February 1942 during World War II. Japanese military forces occupied it afte ...
, ''Utusan Melayu'' had to stop circulation as machinery used to print the paper were requisitioned to publish the Japanese paper, ''Berita Malai''. Yusof then moved back to Taiping and with the remaining money he had, he opened a provision shop and lived there until the war ended in 1945 and ''Utusan Melayu'' resumed publication. In 1957, Yusof moved to
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...
and in February 1958, the headquarters of ''Utusan Melayu'' was also relocated to the city. During the post-war period, many Malays wanted independence of Malaya from the British and Yusof, fanned this fervour through his publications which resulted in the formation of the
United Malay National Organisation The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its i ...
(UMNO) in 1946. However, his democratic ideals were different from UMNO's vision of re-establishing the monarchy of Malaya. This resulted in rising tensions within the ''Utusan Melayu'' and in 1959, Yusof had sold his shares he had in the company and resigned as UMNO had bought over almost all of the shares of ''Utusan Melayu''.


Presidency

Yusof held several appointments within the Singapore Government and had served on the Film Appeal Committee between 1948 and 1950 and was also a member of both the Nature Reserves Committee and Malayanisation Commission for a year. After his resignation from ''Utusan Melayu'', Yusof took the position of Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) at the invitation of
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
. After
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (abbreviation: PAP) is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and ...
's victory from the 1959 general election, Yusof was appointed
Yang di-Pertuan Negara Yang di-Pertuan Negara (English: (he) who is Lord of the State) is a title for the head of state in certain Malay-speaking countries, and has been used as an official title at various times in Brunei and Singapore. Sabah The head of state of Sa ...
and was sworn on 3 December 1959. During his time as Yang di-Pertuan Negara, Singapore was divided by racial conflicts. Yusof actively promoted
multiculturalism The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
and reached out to people of all races to help restore trust and confidence after the 1964 racial riots. On 9 August 1965, Singapore was expelled from
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
and became an independent nation. The position of Yang di-Pertuan Negara was abolished and Yusof then became the first
President of Singapore The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the reserves and the integrity of the public service. The presidency is largely ceremonial, with the Cabinet led by the prime ...
. As president, Yusof reached out to the people to reassure citizens astonished by Singapore's expulsion and continued to promote multiculturalism and a national identity within the country by visiting constituencies and reached out to different racial and religious groups. Yusof served for three terms in office before he died on 23 November 1970 due to heart failure.


Personal life

Yusof is survived by his wife of 21 years, Puan Noor Aishah, and their three children, Orkid Kamariah, Imran, and Zuriana. Puan Noor Aishah continued her husband's legacy of public service and was the first Asian to become president of the Singapore Girl Guides Association. She and her now adult children were interviewed for the
Channel NewsAsia CNA (stylised as cna), which is an acronym derived from its previous name, Channel NewsAsia, is a Singaporean multinational news channel owned by the country's national public broadcaster Mediacorp. It broadcasts free-to-air domestically in Si ...
documentary ''Daughters of Singapore'', which screened in August 2015 as part of the
SG50 A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...
celebrations and commemorated the spouses of Yusof Ishak and David Marshall, two pioneer leaders of Singapore. Yusof participated in several sports in his youth. He won the Aw Boon Par Cup for boxing in 1932, and was the national lightweight champion in weightlifting in 1933. One of Yusof's hobbies was photography, and a collection of his photographs was donated to the
National Archives of Singapore The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) ( Malay: ''Arkib Negara Singapura'', Mandarin: 新加坡国家档案馆, Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய காப்பகம்) is the national archives of Singapore. It was f ...
by his widow, Noor Aishah. He also cultivated
orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
, and had the tennis courts at his residence on the
Istana ''Istana'' is an Indonesian and Malay word meaning " palace". Notable Istanas *Istana Alam Shah, the official palace of the Sultan of Selangor *Istana Besar, 19th- and early 20th-century residence of the Sultan of Johor *Istana Bogor, one of the p ...
grounds, Sri Melati, converted into an orchid garden. He performed the
pilgrimage to Mecca The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried o ...
in 1963.


Legacy

The following institutions bear Yusof Ishak's name: *
Yusof Ishak Secondary School Yusof Ishak Secondary School (YISS) is a co-educational government secondary school located in Punggol, Singapore. The school is named after Yusof Ishak, the first President of Singapore. History The school was started under the name Jubilee In ...
, opened by then-Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
on 29 July 1966. *The Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) was officially renamed in August 2015 as the
ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute The ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute is a research institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore. It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1968. Previously known as the Institute of Southeast Asi ...
on Yusof's 105th birthday, so its name will call to mind Yusof's "vision of equality, justice, harmony and strength amid diversity". *Yusof Ishak House in
National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in th ...
's Kent Ridge campus along Lower Kent Ridge Road. *
Masjid Yusof Ishak The Yusof Ishak Mosque ( ms, Masjid Yusof Ishak) is a mosque in Woodlands, Singapore. It was announced by Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong during the 2013 National Day Rally The mosque is located at 10 Woodlands Drive 17, Singapore 737740. The ...
in Woodlands. The opening of this mosque in 2017 was officiated by the former president's widow, Toh Puan Noor Aishah, and witnessed by guests including Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (; born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Par ...
, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs
Yaacob Ibrahim Yaacob bin Ibrahim ( Jawi: ; born 3 October 1955) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs between 2002 and 2018, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports between 2002 and 2004, Ministe ...
, and Mufti Fatris Bakaram. Other memorials include: *The current series of
Singapore dollar The Singapore dollar (currency sign, sign: S$; ISO 4217, code: SGD) is the official currency of the Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cent (currency), cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or S$ to distinguish ...
notes, the portrait series issued from 1999 onwards, features Yusof Ishak. *In 2014, a wax figure of Yusof was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Singapore. *For the celebration of Singapore's 50th anniversary of independence (SG50) in 2015, Yusof Ishak was featured in all set of six SG50 Commemorative Notes for which he champions the caused of meritocracy, multi-racialism and modernization of Singapore. *Yusof is buried at
Kranji State Cemetery The Kranji State Cemetery ( zh, 克兰芝国家公墓; ; ta, கிராஞ்சி மாநில கல்லறையில்) is a national cemetery of Singapore. This cemetery is located at Kranji near Kranji War Cemetery. With an are ...
, which is reserved for persons who have made a significant contribution to Singapore.


Honours


Honours of Singapore

*
Darjah Utama Temasek The Darjah Utama Temasek ( en, Order of Temasek) is Singapore's second most prestigious national honour and was instituted in 1962. It is an Order conferred by the President of Singapore only to citizens of Singapore. It may be awarded to non- ...
, 1st Class


Foreign Honours

*: ** First Class of the
Family Order of Laila Utama The Most Esteemed Family Order of Laila Utama ( ms, Darjah Kerabat Laila Utama Yang Amat Dihormati) is an order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DK" as ...
(DK) - Dato Laila Utama (November 1960) *: **
Knight of the Order of St John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...
(June 1961) *: ** Grand Commander of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace ...
(SMN) – Tun (13 November 1963)


References

;Notes * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yusof bin Ishak Presidents of Singapore Singaporean people of Minangkabau descent Singaporean people of Malay descent Singaporean people of Indonesian descent Minangkabau people Singaporean Muslims Victoria School, Singapore alumni Raffles Institution alumni 1910 births 1970 deaths Malaysian emigrants to Singapore Recipients of the Darjah Utama Temasek Knights of the Order of St John