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More than our first President, Yusof Ishak embodied the heart of our founding values and what it meant to be Singaporean. His quiet strength steadied our young nation as it found its way, and his legacy continues to inspire all of us today.
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00:00He isn't just a face on our dollar notes.
00:03He actually was an excellent representative
00:05who exemplified the positive values of our young nation.
00:10He was, in many ways, the solution to Singapore's most pressing problem,
00:16a challenge which could have unraveled us from the very beginning.
00:30In a time when Singapore was gripped by fear and uncertainty,
00:40one man stood for unity and showed us what it meant to be Singaporean.
00:46Yusof Ishaq wasn't just Singapore's first president.
00:49He embodied the values and hopes of a young nation finding its place in the world.
00:55So he was a strong believer in multiracialism and equality.
01:00So he would speak about it and he would advocate for it.
01:04He went out amongst the people to calm them,
01:09to tell them to set aside their differences
01:12and to work together to build up this new state and nation.
01:16Born in a small village in Perak,
01:19Yusof Ishaq moved to Singapore with his family in 1923 when he was 13
01:23after his father was posted there for work.
01:27He grew up in Singapore and he had very many of the same beliefs,
01:32values and cultural characteristics of someone who grew up in Singapore.
01:37He believed in a multiracial society of equality, of justice, of progress.
01:45At Raffles Institution, Yusof Ishaq was an outstanding student.
01:49He was good in his studies, he was good in his sports,
01:53from swimming to water polo to hockey and other sports.
01:58He was even to the head prefect at Raffles Institution,
02:01showing leadership qualities even as a young man.
02:05However, just by a few points, he missed out on getting the Queen's Scholarship.
02:10He actually thought of going to England to study law,
02:14but his father could not afford it.
02:17And really, the only place he could have to further his education
02:21was the police academy.
02:23So he went to the police academy.
02:25But things didn't go as planned for him in the academy in Kuala Lumpur.
02:30You see, he had grown up in Singapore.
02:33He was not used to this traditional Malay habit
02:36where if you are a Malay royal, you are above the law.
02:40And so when he saw a Malay royal in the police academy
02:45ill-treating someone who was a commoner, he spoke up.
02:50And because he spoke up to defend the commoner, he was expelled.
02:55And perhaps as a young man, he would remember
02:58that this is what happens when you have the traditional feudal system.
03:05It's a completely unjust system in so many ways.
03:09And he was determined to fight against it.
03:13Driven by conviction and a sense of justice,
03:16he returned to Singapore and joined Warta Melayu in 1932,
03:21a leading Malay-language newspaper
03:22known for its Muslim-oriented perspectives.
03:25He wanted to be a journalist because he wanted to be a voice for the people.
03:32And then he saw for himself the poverty of the people,
03:36the working classes, working in the plantations
03:39for really hardly any money, just enough for food.
03:45Their children were barefoot and had no schooling.
03:48He saw that.
03:50He wrote about it.
03:52And he was especially upset by the position of the Malays.
03:57The Malays were left out of the modern economy,
04:00held back by colonial policies that aimed to preserve traditional structures.
04:05When the British controlled the area,
04:08they were very concerned to protect the Malays.
04:11And so they protected the position of the sultan.
04:16And they wanted to preserve as much as possible
04:19what they saw as the Malay way of life.
04:23At the same time,
04:24they were bringing in the Chinese and the Indians
04:26and the Eurasians and every other race in the world
04:30to build this trading hub and to build a modern economy.
04:36And what that did was that the Malays did not participate
04:39in the development of modern Malaya in Singapore.
04:44They were kept very separated.
04:47And this was to very much create a society
04:51in which the Malays became more and more left behind.
04:56His time at the Arab-owned Water Melayu
04:58made him realise the need for a more locally-focused Malay publication.
05:03He felt the paper did not fully reflect the concerns
05:06and aspirations of the local Malay community.
05:09So he left and...
05:11He started Utusan Melayu with a few close friends.
05:15The first edition came out in May 1939.
05:19He wanted it to be a newspaper for the Malay community
05:21and owned by the Malay community.
05:23So when he started the Utusan Melayu,
05:26it was to campaign that every Malay would be part of the modern economy,
05:32every Malay child would be educated.
05:35And he wrote very powerfully that said,
05:37parents, let your children go to a modern school.
05:41Send them to an English school.
05:43Because at that time, English was the language of commerce
05:46and it was important that the Malay children could speak English.
05:54The Japanese occupation halted Utusan Melayu's operations,
05:58but not Yusuf Ishak's conviction.
06:01Barely a week after the war ended,
06:03he brought the paper back to life,
06:05restoring a voice that once again spoke for his community.
06:09So it actually revealed how passionate he was
06:13to be the voice for the community.
06:15More and more people started to appreciate Utusan Melayu
06:18because they found it relevant.
06:20News articles were of high quality.
06:23It dealt with issues that they felt mattered to them.
06:28And so more and more readers started to buy the papers.
06:33Utusan Melayu became so successful that in 1957,
06:37Yusuf Ishak moved its headquarters to Kuala Lumpur,
06:40the heart of Malaya,
06:42a decision that would soon prove costly for him.
06:45He had new investors who bought the shares of the company.
06:52And some of them were actually political leaders in Malaya.
06:56However, as a result of this development,
06:59there were also differences.
07:01There were differences in views
07:03between him and new shareholders.
07:07and it got very difficult at one point in time.
07:11They wanted him to sack his close partner,
07:15Samad Ismail,
07:16and he was very reluctant to do that.
07:18And subsequently,
07:19the tension reached a very high stage,
07:21so much so that he resigned in 1959.
07:25That was a very sad day for him
07:27and for the Malay community
07:29in that they lost their champion.
07:32They lost the person who would speak up for the common man.
07:37But he was soon to get a phone call to come to Singapore,
07:41and that journey was to change his life.
07:44That same year,
07:46Singapore achieved internal self-governance for the first time.
07:50With the PAP forming the new government,
07:52the state now needed a young Diputuan Negara
07:55as its constitutional head.
07:57At that time,
07:58there was a lot of interest in the Malay royal families
08:02to become the young Diputuan Negara of Singapore.
08:06But our government did not want
08:08the system of traditional Malay royalty
08:12installed in Singapore at all.
08:15I went to see the Prime Minister.
08:18He asked me what Jey Uso was doing,
08:20so I told him he was unemployed at the moment.
08:22And he asked me this question.
08:24He was an honest man, wasn't he?
08:26I said, yes,
08:27because if he were any other person
08:29in charge of this kind of company,
08:30he could make tons of money.
08:31But he never took a cent.
08:33And I also told the Prime Minister
08:34that when he was travelling,
08:36on official business for the people,
08:37he travelled in the train,
08:39second class,
08:39never took a plane
08:40between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
08:43Seeing in him the ideals
08:45of the new nation,
08:46Lee Kuan Yew turned to Yusuf Ishak,
08:48a common man who rose on his own merit,
08:51to head the Public Service Commission
08:53and serve as Singapore's head of state.
08:56I think our Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew,
08:59trusted him
09:00because through his writing,
09:03he knew that Yusuf Ishak
09:04was very much Singaporean
09:08in his values and his belief
09:11of a multiracial society,
09:13of equality,
09:15of justice,
09:17of progress.
09:18Everything that Lee Kuan Yew himself
09:20believed in and fought for,
09:22he knew that Yusuf Ishak
09:24would fight for the same things.
09:26Though he wasn't a political leader,
09:28he had leadership qualities.
09:29By then, also well-respected
09:31as a leader in the community.
09:33He was also seen to be somebody
09:35who cared deeply for the people
09:37and he had a good feel
09:39of what's happening on the ground.
09:41So in that sense,
09:41he was in a good position
09:42to be a leader
09:45of the state of Singapore.
09:48After giving it serious thought,
09:50Yusuf Ishak agreed
09:51to take on the monumental responsibility
09:54as Singapore's head of state.
09:56As head of state,
09:57he'll be able to reach out
09:58to many more people in Singapore
10:00and make a positive difference.
10:02I believe that he saw it
10:05as his last chance
10:07to achieve the mission of his life,
10:11to uplift the Malays
10:13and make them equal in every way,
10:17to give them a chance
10:18to be equal in the economy,
10:21in education,
10:22in their place,
10:24in society,
10:25and all that he hoped
10:27that was possible in Singapore.
10:29That belief, however,
10:32would soon be tested.
10:34In 1964,
10:35racial riots broke out,
10:37revealing just how fragile
10:39Singapore's harmony still was.
10:41The year 1964
10:42was a very terrible year
10:44for Singapore,
10:45with 36 people killed
10:48because of riots
10:50between the Malays
10:51and the Chinese.
10:53After the riots,
10:54he personally visited
10:55the kampongs and the villages,
10:58walk the streets of Singapore,
11:01calming people
11:02and telling them,
11:05encouraging them,
11:06reassuring them,
11:08please,
11:09let's live together.
11:10Let's not allow
11:11our emotions
11:12to get the better of us.
11:15Let's remember
11:16that our only hope
11:19to be an independent nation
11:21and to be
11:21a sovereign people
11:23is to live together
11:26in peace and harmony.
11:28But the tensions of 1964
11:30were only the beginning.
11:32A year later,
11:33Singapore separated
11:34from Malaysia
11:35and the new nation
11:36entered its most
11:38uncertain chapter.
11:39It was a time
11:40of uncertainty.
11:42Of course,
11:42there were tensions.
11:44The Malays
11:45in Singapore
11:45were very,
11:47very afraid
11:47because they felt
11:49that in Singapore
11:50they were the minority.
11:52You can't forget
11:54that at that time
11:55there were many
11:55newly independent countries
11:57that were in civil war
12:00caused by
12:01the seeming impossibility
12:04of races
12:04to live together
12:05in harmony.
12:06Amid fear
12:07and uncertainty,
12:09it fell on Yusuf Ishak
12:10as the new president
12:11to steady the nation
12:13and assure its people
12:14that Singapore's future
12:16held a place for all.
12:18I really believe
12:19that as a modern Malay,
12:21he was the only person
12:23who could have played
12:25such an effective role
12:26to calm the Malays
12:28and to reassure them
12:29that, look,
12:30in independent Singapore,
12:32you will not be left behind.
12:35In his first speech
12:36as the head of state,
12:39he actually spoke
12:39about the importance
12:40of interracial unity
12:43and harmony
12:44so that we can work
12:45towards peace
12:46and prosperity.
12:47And he lived
12:48those words
12:49every day.
12:50I remember him
12:51being very visible,
12:53very present
12:54in public life.
12:56Every day,
12:57in every way,
12:58he would be out
12:59amongst the people
13:01and you could see him
13:03not just with
13:04the Malay community,
13:05but with every community
13:07of every occupation,
13:10of every interest.
13:12If he went to any event,
13:14he would make sure
13:15that all the races
13:16were represented.
13:17I think his example
13:19was the most powerful way
13:22to bring together
13:23the country.
13:24Each day brought
13:25new faces,
13:26new voices,
13:28and Yusuf Ishak
13:29welcomed them all
13:30with the same
13:31steady grace.
13:32General Chu
13:33would always tell me
13:34that his daily schedule
13:37was packed.
13:38Everyone wanted
13:39to see him.
13:40He would say,
13:40let's fit them in.
13:42I'll manage it.
13:43That meant also
13:45less personal time
13:46with family.
13:47And of course,
13:48he did it willingly.
13:50And it was great
13:50that he had a very
13:51supportive,
13:52caring wife
13:53in Puan Norayisha.
13:55She actually
13:56rose to the occasion.
13:58She took great care
13:59of the family
14:00and also supported him
14:02as our first lady.
14:05Even with a schedule
14:06that never seemed to end,
14:08his grace
14:09and quiet confidence
14:10left an impression
14:11that stayed
14:12with Singaporeans
14:13of all ages.
14:15I recall
14:16every time
14:17we had a school
14:19open day
14:20or a special
14:20school festival,
14:22he would come.
14:23He was a very,
14:24very handsome
14:25and very impressive man.
14:28Very big and tall,
14:30especially when you
14:30were a young kid
14:32like me.
14:32And also,
14:33he had a very elegant
14:35way of presenting himself.
14:38At home,
14:39he was admired
14:40for his warmth
14:41and compassion.
14:42But on the world stage,
14:44he embodied Singapore's
14:45image with dignity,
14:47showing what our
14:48young nation stood for.
14:50And I remember
14:51seeing many photographs
14:52of him with the leaders
14:54of other countries
14:55and feeling rather proud
14:57of him that we had
14:59such a president.
15:00He was outward-looking.
15:02He was very well-spoken
15:03in so many languages.
15:05And in a way,
15:06he represented
15:07what it was
15:08to be a Singaporean.
15:11His calm,
15:13confident demeanour
15:15enabled him
15:15to engage
15:17meaningfully
15:18with the leaders
15:19of other countries,
15:20the officials
15:21of other countries.
15:22And I think
15:22that that was
15:23certainly helpful
15:25in that stage
15:26where we are
15:26a young nation
15:27trying to build
15:28relations with others.
15:30A few years
15:31into his presidency,
15:33his health
15:33began to fail him,
15:35though his resolve
15:36never did.
15:38He still carried
15:39on his presidential
15:40duties
15:40as best he could
15:42because he thought
15:43that it was
15:43really, really important.
15:46Singapore was still
15:47such a new country
15:48and people were
15:50still feeling
15:51very afraid
15:52and uncertain
15:53and unsettled.
15:54through it all,
15:56he pressed on,
15:58determined to serve
15:59to the very end.
16:01Even when Mr. Lee
16:01spoke with him
16:02and told him
16:02to take it
16:04at a slower pace,
16:05he was still keen
16:06to contribute
16:07and to be the president
16:09for our people.
16:11He would engage
16:12the people,
16:12so not many people
16:13realised that
16:14he was actually
16:15having serious
16:17health issues
16:18at that point in time.
16:18So it was only
16:20in 1970
16:21that the public
16:22realised about
16:23President Yusofi Shaq's
16:24poor health
16:25when he was hospitalised
16:27due to his heart problems.
16:28And even when
16:29he had a heart attack,
16:30he was still
16:32in good spirits.
16:34He wanted to shake hands
16:35with the doctors
16:36and nurses
16:37and thank them.
16:38But sadly,
16:40he had a subsequent
16:41heart attack
16:42and he passed away.
16:45In 1970,
16:47Singapore mourned
16:48the loss
16:48of a beloved leader
16:49who had guided
16:50the nation
16:51through its most
16:52fragile years.
16:53I remember
16:55the day
16:56he passed away.
16:59It was really
17:00such a sad day.
17:02We lost a very
17:03important man
17:05in our history
17:06and we'll always
17:07remember him.
17:08When his
17:09casket was brought
17:10to City Hall,
17:12many, many
17:13Singaporeans
17:14wanted to pay
17:15respects to him,
17:16even the
17:17young children.
17:18He may no longer
17:21be with us,
17:22but what he stood
17:23for has become
17:24part of who
17:25we are today.
17:26He fought so many
17:28of our battles
17:29to become
17:29independent
17:30and he
17:32represented so
17:33many of our
17:33struggles to
17:34become a modern
17:35nation.
17:36I hope
17:37he's remembered
17:38as somebody
17:39who is
17:40highly
17:41caring,
17:42committed
17:42and capable.
17:43As our first
17:44president,
17:45I think in many
17:46ways,
17:46he's a remarkable
17:47role model.
17:48During the most
17:49difficult time
17:50of our
17:50independence,
17:52at a time
17:53that our
17:53society
17:54appeared to
17:55be under threat,
17:57our economy
17:58was facing
18:00its darkest
18:00time.
18:02He was our
18:02leader.
18:03He was the
18:04man who
18:05appeared every
18:06day out
18:07on the street.
18:09I think we
18:10have really
18:11a lot to
18:13be thankful
18:14to him
18:15for.
18:33the
18:42time
18:46to
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