Yusof bin Ishak | |
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1st President of Singapore | |
In office 9 August 1965 – 23 November 1970 | |
Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Benjamin Sheares |
Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore | |
In office 3 December 1959 – 9 August 1965 | |
Monarchs | Elizabeth II Putra of Perlis |
Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
Preceded by | Sir William Goode |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Yusof bin Ishak Al-Haj 12 August 1910 Terong, Taiping, Perak, Federated Malay States, British Malaya |
Died | 23 November 1970 Singapore | (aged 60)
Cause of death | Heart failure |
Resting place | Kranji State Cemetery |
Political party | Independent |
Spouse | |
Children |
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Alma mater | Victoria Bridge School Raffles Institution |
Occupation |
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Website | http://www.istana.gov.sg/ |
Yusof bin Ishak DUT SK DUBC PJG (/ˈjʊsɒf bɪn ˈɪshɑːk/ YUUSS-off bin ISS-hahk; 12 August 1910 – 23 November 1970) was a Singaporean journalist and senior civil servant who served as the first president of Singapore between 1965 and 1970.
Prior to his appointment as Singapore's head of state, Yusof was a well-known journalist who co-founded Utusan Melayu, which was in circulation until 9 October 2019. He started his career in journalism after his graduation from Raffles Institution in 1929. In 1932, he joined Warta Malaya, a well-known Malay newspaper company at that time, before leaving in 1938 and co-founded Utusan Melayu.[1]
Yusof held many appointments within the Singapore Government. He served on the Film Appeal Committee from 1948 to 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.[2]
On 3 December 1959, Yusof succeeded Sir William Goode as Yang di-Pertuan Negara (English: Head of State) after the People's Action Party (PAP) won the 1959 general election.[3] Yusof was subsequently appointed as the first president of Singapore by Parliament after the independence of Singapore on 9 August 1965.
Yusof served three terms in office (2 as Yang-di Pertuan Negara) before he died on 23 November 1970 due to heart failure. His portrait appears on the Singapore Portrait Series currency notes introduced in 1999. He was succeeded by Benjamin Sheares on 2 January 1971.
Serving as Singapore's Head of State for close to 11 years between 1959 and 1970, he was Singapore's longest-serving Head of State until S. R. Nathan surpassed this record in August 2010.