In the political history of Singapore, Yusof bin Ishak is one of the names the record keeps returning to.
The record lists Yusof bin Ishak as 1st President of Singapore (1910–1970).
Yusof bin Ishak was born at Perak in 1910. His recorded nationality is Singapore. He was educated at Victoria School and King Edward VII School.
Around the turn of the twentieth century, mass movements, total war and the collapse of empires reshaped what a political career could be.
He served as President of Singapore (1965–1970) and Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore (1959–1965).
His political affiliation is recorded as People's Action Party.
What survives of a political career is usually not the speeches but the institutions left behind.
That the career was made in Singapore is not incidental: the institutions available, the franchise, and the constraints of the moment all shaped what could be attempted.
Yusof bin Ishak died in 1970, aged 60. The assessment continues, as it does for anyone who held power - which is the ordinary fate of a political life.
Achievements
- President of Singapore (1965–1970)
- Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore (1959–1965)
- Educated at Victoria School and King Edward VII School
