| Yusof bin Ishak | |
|---|---|
| 1st President of Singapore | |
| In office 9 August 1965 (retroactive) – 23 November 1970 |
|
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew (1959–1990) |
| Preceded by | Newly-created post (he was previously Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore) |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Henry Sheares |
| 2nd Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore | |
| In office 3 December 1959 – 9 August 1965 (retroactive) |
|
| Preceded by | Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 August 1910 Perak, Federated Malay States |
| Died | 23 November 1970 (aged 60) Singapore |
| Resting place | Kranji State Cemetery |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Spouse(s) | Noor Aishah |
| Alma mater | Primary school: Victoria Bridge School Secondary school: Raffles Institution |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Religion | Islam |
| Website | www.istana.gov.sg |
Yusof bin Ishak ( /ˈjʊsɒf bɪn ˈɪs.hɑːk/ yuuss-off bin iss-hahk; 12 August 1910 – 23 November 1970) was an eminent Singaporean politician and the first President of Singapore of Minangkabau descent. His portrait appears on the Singapore Portrait Series currency notes introduced in 1999.
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Born on 12 August 1910 in Trong, Taiping, Perak Darul Ridzuan, which was then part of the Federated Malay States, Yusof is the descendant of prominent Sumatran Malay Datuk Jannatun who migrated to Penang in 1759.
Yusof is of Minangkabau descent from his father's side while his mother is a native Malay of Langkat region in Indonesia.[1] His brother, Aziz Ishak, was a Malayan journalist and freedom fighter.
He received his primary education at Victoria Bridge School (now known as Victoria School),[2] and secondary education at Raffles Institution.
At Raffles, he joined the Singapore National Cadet Corps. He was commissioned as the first ever cadet officer in the Corps.
Yusof was well known both as a journalist and the founder of the Malay newspaper Utusan Melayu prior to becoming head of state of Singapore. He was married to Noor Aishah.
He first served as Yang di-Pertuan Negara (head of state) between 1959 and 1965, remaining in office during the time that Singapore was part of the Federation of Malaysia between 1963 and 1965. Following Singapore's departure from Malaysia in 1965, he served as the first President of the Republic until his death in 1970.
Yusof is buried at Kranji State Cemetery.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode |
Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore 1959–1965 |
Succeeded by Abolished |
| Preceded by Post created |
President of Singapore 1965–1970 |
Succeeded by Benjamin Henry Sheares |
|
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