Talk:Yusof bin Ishak
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I have this article i wrote for my school assignment to contribute, however, i am not very familiar with wikipedia's contribution requirements. Therefore, i am posting this here to seek assistance as well as advice...
Start of Article
Biography of Yusof Bin Ishak (Pre-President)
On 12 August 1910, Yusof was born in Perak. His father was a civil servant with the British governor. Yusof’s ancestors were descended from the Minangkabau ethnic group, which originates from West Sumatra.
The Minangkabau was an independent group, believing in the principals of cooperation, democracy and social justice. The Minangs also stresses on the importance of education. Yusof’s father often shares stories from Minang folklore with his children, as well as the principles they live by.
At that time, sultans had considerable political power in Malaya. In contrast to the Minangs, the sultans rule autocratically. Their status was divine, and it is considered treason to go against the wish of a sultan or his nobles. Under the sultan’s feudal system, the sultan is at the top of the social class, followed by nobles, the common people, and lastly the slaves. The common people had to pay high taxes with no means of improving their quality of life, and when they can’t, they are demoted to slaves for the sultans and nobles.
Yusof’s father firmly believes in English education for his child. Yusof attended Victoria bridge school. At Victoria, he was awarded distinctions in the Cambridge exams. When he graduated, and wanted to move on to the Malay College (the top English school for Malays at that time), his application was rejected because he was a commoner, as opposed to the flocks of nobles who attended the college year after year. Instead, Yusof enrolled at Raffles institution, in the Queen’s scholarship class. At Raffles, Yusof for the first time of his life mingled with youths from other races and ethnic groups. It is believed that his belief in multi-racialism was developed there. Yusof also took up leadership posts, becoming a school prefect, and second lieutenant in NCC, in addition, he was co-editor of the Rafflesian.
After graduation from Raffles, his poor father could not afford to send him overseas for further education, Yusof had failed to win the Queen’s scholarship; he therefore enrolled at the Police Academy in Malaya. However, police officer posts were usually reserved for child of nobles. For Yusof, due to his excellent performance in the NCC, he was promised an officer post. Unfortunately, before Yusof could complete his training, he was expelled for treason. Yuosf had confronted a noble-officer on his ill-treatment of his servants. His rejection from the Malay college, and expel from the police academy also affirmed his detest of the Sultan system in Malaya.
Yusof returned to Singapore to start a business, however he failed. After which, he helped his friend to publish the Sportsman, and later took up the post of clerk with the Warta Malaya, a newspaper on Arab business affairs.
Yusof was determined to help the common Malays here improve their living conditions, and stand up for their rights and justice. He also wanted to advocate multi-racialism. With his experience as a clerk in the Warta Malaya, he and his group of like minded friends helped to raised funds for the Utusan Malayu – the newspaper by Malays, for Malays. Yusof traveled throughout Johor and Singapore, getting both rich businessmen, and poor farmers, to purchase shares in the newspaper.
As editor-in-chief of Utusan Melayu, he was a stern and strict boss, though with good leadership, discipline and was thrifty, as commonly agreed among his employees. Utusan Melayu continuously campaigned for social equality and multi-racialism. Though Utusan Malayu campaigned for Malay rights, it never blamed the other races for the economic situation of Malay peasants in Malaya.
“Blaming the other races does not help in any way to uplift the status of the Malays in the country… Blame should fall on the Malay themselves for not using the opportunities that are available, because God had given determination and intelligence to all races in equal measures, and there should be no excuses…” Yusof bin Ishak
During World War II, Yusof stubbornly refused to acknowledge air-raid sirens, for he was determined to continue publications of Utusan Melayu as far as possible. Only when planes were seen passing directly above the look-out-point on the roof of his office, that his employees were allowed to evacuate. For this reason, Utusan Melayu indeed continued to be published, up to the invasion of Singapore.
It was believed that, events in World War II had convinced Yusof that, the British colonist were inadequate to protect Malaya. Utusan Melayu became strongly anti-colonist after the war, when it resumed operations. By 1945, Utusan Melayu had become a key newspaper, in the struggle for freedom, independence and social justice.
During the 1950 Maria Hertogh Incident, the Utusan Melayu remained neutral and objective in its reporting. In contrast, other newspapers became biased and began baseless reporting and accusations, fanning up the tensions within the Malay community. This lead to the banning of numerous newspapers, but Utusan Melayu was spared.
Notably, the office of Utusan Melayu became an important meeting place for many key people who were also campaigning for social justice, multi-racialism and the end of colonialism. An important person Yusof met at his office at such discussions was Lee Kuan Yew.
In 1946, the Malayan Union Scheme was proposed by the British. Under the scheme, the Sultans’ political power would be removed, leaving only power over religious and cultural matters. While Yusof is probably delighted at this proposal, he was worried about the second proposal, where Malaya citizenship rights would be granted to all, regardless of race as long they had resided in Malay for a period of time. Yusof was worried that, granting citizenship to so many non-Malays would upset the Malay community, as it would threaten their political rights. At the same time, a political party by the name of United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) was set-up, to contest the British’s proposals. With the help of the Utusan Melayu, the proposal was defeated. The first president of UMNO wrote a letter to thank Yusof. After negotiation with Malayan leaders, the British withdrew the Malayan union scheme, and replaced it with the Federation of Malaya. The Federation came into existence in 1948. While the issues on Citizenship rights were addressed, Yusof was “horrified” to know that, the political powers of the Sultans were restored. From the point on, the Utusan Melayu became increasingly critical of the UNMO.
The UMNO retaliated by buying over shares in the Utusan, soon, they were in majority control. Yusof was ordered to sack a reporter (Samad Ismail), who had written numerous anti-UMNO articles. Yusof was unwilling to sack his long-time friend Samad, Samd however eventually resigned to join a rival newspaper. Without his long time pal, Samad supporting him, and the UMNO asserting its control in the Utusan, Yusof decided to resigned and retire. He intended to spend his retirement rearing orchid as a living.
In 1959, the PAP won the state election in self-governing Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew, now the leader of the government, invited Yusof to take office as the Head of Public Services Commissions. Shortly after, Yusof was nominated to become the first Yang di Pertuan Negara (Head-of-State) of Singapore. On 3 December 1959 at the Padang, Majulah Singapura was played, the State Flag and State Crest was unveiled, and Yusof was sworn in as the Head-of-State.
Though Yusof was a commoner, he as a Yang di Pertuan Negara, was to be recognised as an equal with the Sultans. The Sultan of Brunei sent a medal to congratulate and mark Yusof as his equal. The Malaya sultans were however less than happy.
Reasons for Yusof’s Appointment as Head of State
Firstly, Yusof was a Malay with strong nationalist credentials and seen as a credible leader among the Malay community, due to his role in the Utusan. Secondly, Yusof was a strong advocate of Multi-racialism. Lastly, Yusof had strong links to Malaya; his brother was a minister in Malaya.
At that time, Lee Kuan Yew needs to dispel Singapore’s image as the “third China”, by installing a non-Chinese as head of state. Being a country with diverse races and cultures, Singapore also needed a leader believing in multi-racialisim. Singapore also needs to build a “Malay” image to secure its merger with Malaya. From Lee Kuan Yew’s meeting with Yusof in the Utusan office, he knew Yusof is one who is upright, courteous, calm, and respectable, one who is definitely suitable to be Singapore’s Head of State.
On the other hand, Yusof had accepted his appointment, because he wanted to prove that the Singapore government was not anti-Malay, though with a Chinese majority. He sees his appointment as a chance to encourage the local Malay community to work hard to claim their rightful and equal place in Singapore.
End of Article
- Thanks for this. Will see how it can be incorporated into the article. Cheers, Jacklee 13:04, 20 September 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Singapore never part of Federation of Malaya
Singapore was never part of the Federation of Malaya, which consisted solely of the nine states of what is now called peninsular or west Malaysia. Ishak (which is how is name his written in Singapore) did not 'govern' Singapore, as the post he held was largely ceremonial.
Boffin June 27th 2004 15.58 UTC
- An editor has changed references to "Federation of Malaya" to "Federation of Malaysia". Cheers, Jacklee 13:04, 20 September 2007 (UTC)
[edit] "Prime minister" parameter in infobox
Hi, an editor has been repeatedly removing the "Prime minister" parameter from the infobox without providing any reason. I am of the view that it is useful for this parameter to remain in the infobox as it provides information on who was the prime minister of Singapore during the President's period of office. If there is some disagreement about this, please discuss the matter here instead of simply removing the parameter. Thanks. Cheers, Jacklee 12:35, 9 October 2007 (UTC)
