Suhaimi bin Yusof (born 4 September 1969) is a
Singaporean
Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...
actor, comedian, entertainer and radio DJ, known for playing exaggerated
Malay stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
characters and for his spontaneity.
Life and career
Early life
Suhaimi was born on 4 September 1969, in Jalan Kampung Tengah,
Punggol, Singapore, the seventh of nine children. Suhaimi's mother, Fatimah Yusof (née Adenan, born 1940), was a
homemaker
Homemaking is mainly an American English, American and Canadian English, Canadian term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, housewifery or household management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational ...
and his father, Yusof Bujang, was a
technician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles.
Specialisation
The term technician covers many different special ...
. The family moved to
Hougang when Suhaimi was sixteen. Suhaimi was initially shy by nature, but soon realised his potential as an actor in secondary school, when his teacher selected him to perform a skit for a Teachers' Day concert. Initially panicking, he finally came up with a character named "
Montfort Jackson," a
spoof of American recording artist
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
and received many laughs from his peers during his performance.
Radio and television
At an inter-school Malay debate competition, Suhaimi greatly impressed Zakiah Halim, a Malay radio veteran, with his performance. Following that, Halim offered Suhaimi a part-time job as a host on the radio programme ''Majalah Remaja'', which was aimed at teens. After his studies and the completion of his compulsory national service, Suhaimi joined the
Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) (now
Mediacorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd. is the state media, state-owned media conglomerate of Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the investment arm of the Government of Singapore—it owns and operates television channels, radio, and digital media properties. ...
) as a full-time radio presenter, and soon he was hosting the morning radio show. Thereafter, SBC's television department offered him his first onscreen gig, co-hosting ''Potret Keluarga'', a weekly family programme. Shortly after, he received another hosting job, this time on ''Hiburan Minggu Ini'', an entertainment programme. Suhaimi was offered the role of
maintenance man Sulaiman Yusof in the
sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''
Living with Lydia'', starring alongside
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
comedian
A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...
Lydia Shum
Lydia Shum Din-ha or Lydia Sum Tin Ha (; 21 July 1945 – 19 February 2008) was a Hong Kong-Canadian comedian, Master of Ceremonies, MC, actress and singer. Known for her portly figure, signature dark-rimmed glasses and bouffant hairstyle, she w ...
. He accepted the job, and his character proved a hit with viewers of the sitcom. It would be Suhaimi's first role in English television.
In 2001, Suhaimi quit radio to focus more on television. At that point, he had already become an assistant programme director on Malay radio station
Warna 94.2FM.
He has then acted in 2 more
Mediacorp Channel 5 sitcoms
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home ...
, notably as Sgt Dollah Abu Bakar in ''
Police & Thief'' and "mat rock" reporter Jojo Joget in ''
The Noose''.
In early 2012, Suhaimi made a controversial move by writing an open letter on his Facebook Wall criticising
Mediacorp Suria for not showing enough appreciation for local talents, and called on other Malay Singaporean actors to seek a better future in
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
instead. This caused a stir on the local Malay entertainment scene. Suhaimi later explained that it was "
constructive criticism" and it "wasn't a personal attack on anyone in Suria".
Suhaimi is currently directing and producing an untitled 15-episode comedy series for ''Astro'' and has also landed his first role on the big screen as a murder suspect in the upcoming Malay suspense film ''Psycho''.
Businessman
Suhaimi and his wife run an events management and production house called ''Q & Que'', where Suhaimi is creative director. Suhaimi also produces
VCD
Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video), (not to be confused with CD Video which is a type of LaserDisc, Laserdisc) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard optical di ...
s and
DVDs of his comedy performances distributed by Life Records. The first product, entitled ''Keramat Bernisan'', was a live recording and was released in 2004. 25,000 copies were sold in Singapore within three weeks. Subsequently, he produced a series of successful Comedy DVD series, most notably the "Takleh Angkat" series that became an iconic comedy favourite for the local Malay Community as well as abroad . More than 150,000 official copies of Suhaimi's VCDs and DVDs have been sold.
Other appearances
As part of the MTL Fortnight, initiated by the
Singapore Ministry of Education, Suhaimi was invited by the Malay Department of
Pei Tong Primary School to give a motivational talk for parents on how to motivate their children.
Education
Suhaimi spent four years at
Montfort Secondary School. After obtaining his
'O' levels, he attended
Tampines Junior College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Media Production with First Class Honours from Teesside University, UK.
Influences
Suhaimi's comedy is rooted in stand-up. He counts American comedians such as
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
,
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
, Will Smith and
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...
as influences.
Personal life
Suhaimi is married to Siti Yuhana Sulaiman (born 1969) and they have three children namely Sufi (born 1999), Nurjannah (born 1997) and Amirul (born 1995). In 2024, Yusof was admitted to
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Tan Tock Seng Hospital (abbreviation: TTSH) is a tertiary referral hospital in Singapore, located in Novena. Named after Tan Tock Seng, the hospital has 45 clinical and allied health departments, 16 specialist centres and is powered by more ...
after suffering a stroke at home. His doctor conducted multiple tests and confirmed that he suffered a cerebellar stroke.
Controversy
In 2024, Suhaimi Yusof faced accusations of disrespectful behavior towards a drinks stall owner at the Bazar Raya Utara, a Ramadan bazaar in Admiralty. The owner, Mr. Sheik, alleged that Suhaimi bypassed a long queue of customers at his stall and informed Mr. Sheik's mother, who was assisting at the stall, that he intended to purchase $50 worth of drinks for the waiting customers as an act of charity. According to Mr. Sheik, when he began distributing random drinks to the customers, Suhaimi intervened, insisting that the customers be allowed to choose their own beverages.
Eventually, 3 days later, both Suhaimi and Mr Sheik met and had peacefully reconciled the matter with former MP, Mr Amrin Amin as the mediator.
Honours and awards
Since 2001, Suhaimi received four trophies for The Most Popular Personality Award, four trophies for The Best Host Awards, a trophy for The Best Actor in a Comedic Role Award and a trophy for The Best TV Opening Graphic Award as an Editor in The Singapore Mediacorp Malay TV Award Event, Pesta Perdana.
Suhaimi received the ''Best Comedy Performance'' award by an Actor at the 2011
Asian Television Awards
The Asian Television Awards, founded in 1996, is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, it comprises 56 categories across news, documentaries and curre ...
for his efforts in ''
The Noose''.
He took fourth position in the reality comedy television series ''Maharaja Lawak Mega''.
Filmography
;Television Telemovie Drama
;Film
;Shows Hosted
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yusof, Suhaimi
1969 births
Living people
Singaporean radio presenters
21st-century Singaporean male actors
Singaporean male film actors
Singaporean male television actors
Singaporean people of Malay descent
Singaporean Muslims
Montfort Secondary School alumni