Yusof Ishak

His Excellency Yusof bin Ishak DUT SK DUBC PJG
Yusof c. 1924–1929
1st President of Singapore
In office 9 August 1965 – 23 November 1970
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Benjamin Sheares
2nd Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore
In office 3 December 1959 – 9 August 1965
Monarchs	Elizabeth II Putra of Perlis
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Sir William Goode
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Yusof bin Ishak Al-Haj (1910-08-12)12 August 1910 Padang Gajah, Terong, Larut, Matang and Selama District, Perak, Federated Malay States (present-day Perak, Malaysia)
Died	23 November 1970(1970-11-23) (aged 60) Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Cause of death	Heart failure
Resting place	Kranji State Cemetery
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Noor Aishah Mohammad Salim ​ ​ (m. 1949)​
Relations	Aziz Ishak (younger brother) Abdul Rahim Ishak (younger brother)
Children	3
Parent	Ishak bin Ahmad (father)
Alma mater	Victoria Bridge School Raffles Institution
Occupation	Journalist civil servant

Yusof bin Ishak (/ˈjʊsɒf bɪn ˈɪshɑːk/ YUUSS-off bin ISS-hahk; 12 August 1910 – 23 November 1970) was a Singaporean journalist and civil servant who served as the second Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore from 1959 to 1965 and the first president of Singapore between 1965 and 1970, both roles serving as the head of state of Singapore. Born in the Federated Malay States, Yusof had his education in Malaysia and Singapore, graduating from Raffles Institution in 1929. Upon his graduation, he worked in journalism, creating a sports magazine with friends before joining Warta Malaya, a Malay-language daily newspaper. Leaving Warta in 1938, Yusof co-founded Utusan Melayu, a newspaper more centred on Malay issues, in 1939 with other Malay figures in Singapore.

He was a central figure in Utusan's success, staying with the newspaper for two decades. He left in 1959 following conflicts between Utusan and UMNO, which ultimately led to UMNO buying all the shares of Utusan. Yusof returned to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur, where Utusan was located, and was invited to serve as chairman of the Public Service Commission by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. On 3 December 1959, he subsequently succeeded Sir William Goode as Yang di-Pertuan Negara after the People's Action Party (PAP) won the 1959 general election. He would serve in this role until 1965, when Singapore gained independence and the Yang di-Pertuan Negara was succeeded by the president of Singapore.

Yusof served three terms in office (2 as Yang di-Pertuan Negara) before he died on 23 November 1970 due to heart failure. During his presidency, he was known for his multi-racial beliefs, especially in the 1960s, when he was a strong supporter of Singapore's merger with Malaysia. Even after Singapore's independence following its split with Malaysia, he continued to spread the idea of a multi-racial society. Yusof also believed in education and supported talks on religion. Following his death, he was succeeded by Benjamin Sheares on 2 January 1971. Several places in Singapore bear his name and his portrait appears on the Singapore Portrait Series currency notes introduced in 1999.