Before making his mark as Singapore head of state, Yusof bin Ishak was an accomplished scholar, weightlifting champion, successful boxer and, above all else, a dedicated journalist who put the betterment of others ahead of himself, writes ALAN TEH LEAM SENG
A SMALL brown box emerges from the depths of a long-neglected cupboard during an endeavour to bring some semblance of order to the study room. Retrieving the contents with thumping heart and quivering hands, they turn out to be a small accumulation of Japanese Occupation postal history bought from a renowned Italian auction house more than a decade ago.
The sight of the long-misplaced World War 2-era envelopes prompts the heart to skip a beat and bring a Cheshire cat lookalike grin to the face. Putting the chore at hand on temporary hold after temptation overwhelms, it suddenly dawns that the items actually shared a common trait.
Sent from towns throughout occupied Malaya like Kota Baru, Seremban, Ipoh and Muar, the letters were addressed to a newspaper publishing collective in Syonan, the calling used in place of Singapore after the previously thought impregnable British Gibraltar of the East was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army on Chinese New Year's Day Feb 15, 1942.
GIANT AMONG MEN
While looking at the Japanese-era newspaper names on the envelopes, which reflect Malaya's vibrant cultural diversity, one sticks out like a sore thumb. Warta Malaya was a leading pre-World War 2 daily that was related to Yusof bin Ishak, the multitalented Malayan whose many notable milestones in life made him a giant among men.
Born on Aug 12, 1910, Yusof was of Sumatran descent with a distinct Minangkabau lineage on his paternal side. His nobleman ancestor, Datuk Jenaton Labu along with his brother Datuk Setia and their followers, made regular Selat Melaka crossings in the mid-18th century. With commercial interests concentrated on the Malay Peninsula's northwestern coast, they established strong local relations and eventually swore allegiance to Sultan Muhammad Jiwa.
Deeply indebted to Datuk Jenaton and his men for their crucial assistance in repelling a particularly strong Siamese onslaught, the Kedah monarch granted them a sizeable piece of land in Batu Uban to establish a settlement on Pulau Pinang's eastern coast. Their arrival in the 1730s helped set the stage for the island's sustained development even before Captain Francis Light claimed it by ruse for the British crown some five decades later.
In the many decades that followed, the clan's influence extended far and wide as relations moved beyond Pulau Pinang shores. In the early 20th century, Ishak bin Ahmad established himself as a Taiping district office clerk while raising a family of nine children with Yusof as the eldest.
EARLY YEARS
During his formative years in Perak, Yusof studied at the Kuala Kurau Malay School before progressing to a larger one in Taiping. At 11, he pursued English studies at Taiping's prestigious King Edward VII School.
At that time, Ishak proved to be a great role model for his children. Yusof and his siblings swelled with pride when their father's sheer diligence and commendable work ethics led to a promotion and higher position at the Perak Fisheries Department.
Taking on his new portfolio with renewed vigour, Ishak once again caught the eye of his superiors, who strongly felt that his talent could be put to better use as assistant fisheries inspector in Singapore. Not long after the move in 1923, Ishak rose up the ranks to assume the directorship position, a historic first for a non-European.
Bidding farewell to peers at King Edward VII School, Yusof followed his family southwards and attended Victoria Bridge School (Victoria School today) and Raffles Institution for his primary and secondary education, respectively.
Mirroring his father's unrelenting diligence and sheer determination, Yusof excelled in both academic and extra-curricular fields. Distinctions in the 1927 Cambridge School Certificate and Senior Cambridge exams secured his admission into the Queen's Scholarship class at Raffles Institution, which comprised just 13 students with him being the only Malay.
Yusof and his peers were indeed fortunate as the prestigious scholarship, although established in 1885 to fostered enthusiasm for education among the locals, was reinstated three years earlier thanks to the unrelenting efforts of educators and former scholars such as Lim Boon Keng, Song Ong Siang and Noel Clarke after it was discontinued in 1911 following fears that the creation of an educated social class would put the colonial status quo into question.
SCHOLAR AND SPORTSMAN
An all-rounder, Yusof represented Raffles Institution in hockey, cricket, swimming, water polo and basketball. His two pet sporting activities were boxing and weightlifting. He excelled in the former by winning the Aw Boon Par Cup and did well in the latter by becoming the national lightweight champion. Those momentous successes captured headlines and won him notable mentions in local newspapers.
Apart from sports, Yusof was a school prefect and thoroughly enjoyed his first foray into the world of journalism as the school magazine co-editor. Leading by example, he broke the proverbial glass ceiling by becoming the first student to be made second lieutenant in the National Cadet Corps history.
Yusof's ambition to be a barrister after completing his secondary education in 1929 failed to materialise due to financial constraints. Crestfallen, he joined the Kuala Lumpur Police Academy in Kuala Lumpur but a few months later, that, too, did not work out as planned.
Returning to Singapore, he began to take journalism seriously by teaming up with friends Ong Chin Beng and Soh Swee Tuck to start a fortnightly magazine, Sportsman. Like his earlier endeavours, the publication ended prematurely after failing to attract sufficient sales for commercial success.
Despite the string of disappointments, Yusof remained steadfast in his quest to succeed in life. His big break came in the form of an invitation from Syed Hussein bin Ali Alsagoff to join Warta Malaya. Eager to repay his former school friend's belief in his abilities, Yusof worked tirelessly and began climbing the corporate ladder. Leaving his initial position as a clerk, he made good progress to become assistant manager before being appointed acting editor.
NATIONALISTIC AWAKENING
First published in 1930 and helmed by Onn Jaafar, the Alsagoff-owned daily highlighted Malay socio-economic conditions, including wide-ranging issues concerning education, political and economic rights. Being the first Malay daily that subscribed to international news agencies, Warta Malaya gave readers exposure to events happening in Muslim countries outside British Malaya. Overwhelming support quickly translated to phenomenal growth and Warta Malaya soon became the largest circulating local newspaper.
A shrewd entrepreneur, Syed Hussein continued attracting more readers by doubling page numbers and halving the price to six cents for each issue. Interest was further sustained by the introduction of two highly popular weekly companion publications, Warta Ahad and Warta Jenaka.
Despite being part of a successful media entity, Yusof remained unsatisfied as Warta Malaya, which was owned and controlled by the Alsagoffs who were of Arab descent, represented the opinion and aspirations of the Muslim community in general rather than specifically highlighting the concerns of local Malays.
Motivated by the need to adequately fill that glaring deficit, Yusof and other writers like Abdul Rahim Kajai, who is more famously known as the Father of Malay Journalism, left Warta Malaya in early 1938 and worked with prominent community leaders like Yahya Abdul Rahman, Yunos Haji Daim, Osman Hassan, Embok Soloh, Sudin Abdul Rahman and Abdullah Abdul Ghani to establish Utusan Melayu Press Ltd, a newspaper strictly owned, financed and managed by competent Malay journalists.
JAPANESE OCCUPATION INTERLUDE
Sight of another envelope in the accumulation sent from a Muar general store to the Malai Shinbun Sha in February 1943 brings to mind curbs on Malay nationalism and print media during the Japanese Occupation to safeguard the Imperial Army's vision and mission against British military remnants and their sympathisers.
Even the once mighty Warta Malaya succumbed to the strict regulations. Acquired by Malay nationalist and Kesatuan Melayu Muda president Ibrahim Yaacob for anti-British propaganda purposes just as the winds of war were gathering around Malaya in April 1941, it ceased publication about a year later.
As others like Utusan Melayu followed in Warta Malaya's footsteps, only two major Malay publishing companies continued to function in Japanese-occupied Malaya — Malai Shinbun Sha and Sinsei Malai Kensetsu Sha. The former, known also as the Malay Press Office, published the Semangat Asia magazine and Berita Malai daily, and the latter produced the Fajar Asia weekly from joint offices at 146 Cecil Street, Singapore.
With Utusan Melayu's printing equipment requisitioned by the Japanese military, Yusof was left with no other alternative than to sell his prized belongings and return to Taiping. There, he bided time by running a provision shop until the war ended. News of British forces landing in Malaya in September 1945 prompted Yusof to head back to Singapore and breathe new life into Utusan Melayu.
Post-war climate in Malaya was rife with the Malays awakening to their political rights and strengths. Yusof and his colleagues, through Utusan Melayu, helped fan this fervour that culminated in the formation of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) in 1946.
A decade later, Yusof moved from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur after Utusan Melayu came to a similar decision with regard to its headquarters. As the political landscape continued evolving after Merdeka, Yusof finally decided to relinquish his hold on Utusan Melayu in 1959 and moved back south to assume the Singapore Public Service Commission chairmanship.
FIRST PRESIDENT
Yusof became the Singapore head of state following the general election, which was held under the new constitution on May 30, 1959. He then made the natural transition to become the Republic of Singapore's first president after independence was achieved on Aug 9, 1965.
During those early years, Yusof's steady guiding hand helped the elected government steer the newly formed sovereign state through a challenging period of political, social and economic development.
The years of tireless dedication towards successful careers in journalism and politics finally took its toll on Yusof's health. Cardiac complications surfacing in 1968 prompted doctors to suggest a recuperation trip. The subsequent voyage by boat to Australia was the first time Yusof took a holiday in his life.
The years that followed saw him continue working hard to fulfil his official duties despite suffering constant exhaustion and pain.
Passing away in office from heart failure on Nov 23, 1970, Yusof's body was brought to City Hall for the public to pay their last respects. Organisers were taken aback when scores of people from all walks of life braved the rain as they queued patiently to mourn and bid farewell to a man who had always placed others before himself.
In recognition of his many contributions, Yusof Ishak Secondary School and Masjid Yusof Ishak were named in his honour, together with the National University of Singapore's Yusof Ishak Professorship in Social Sciences and Institute of Southeast Asian Studies' Yusof Ishak Institute.
Further honouring his memory, Singapore issued a set of new paper currency in 1999 that prominently featured Yusof's portrait. Aptly called the Presidential Notes and still used until this very day, they feature designs related to things that were important to Yusof during his momentous lifetime such as education, sports, youth development and good governance.