Yusof Ishak

Birth Name: Yusof bin Ishak

Date of Birth: 12 August, 1910

Place of Birth: Terong, Taiping, Perak, Federated Malay States (now Malaysia)

Date of Death: 23 November, 1970

Place of Death: Singapore

Ethnicity:
*father – Indonesian Minangkabau, one eighth Hui Chinese
*mother – Malay, Afghan

Yusof Ishak was a Singaporean politician. He was the first President of Singapore, serving from 9 August, 1965 to 23 November, 1970. He was also Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore, from 3 December, 1959 to 16 September, 1963, and Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapura, from 16 September, 1963 to 9 August, 1965.

His father, Encik Ishak bin Ahmad, was of Minangkabau descent. His mother, Aishahtun Aminuddin, was a Malay from the Langkat region in Indonesia. He was married to Puan Noor Aishah, with whom he had three children.

Yusof’s paternal grandfather was Ahmad bin Abdullah (the son of Abdullah bin Dato Jenaton and Umi Salamah, also known as Oomeye Selamah). Yusof’s great-grandfather Abdullah was the son of Dato Jenaton “Jenan” bin Raja Labu, and of an unknown Chinese-Arab woman, likely a woman from the Hui Baiqi Guo Clan of China.

Yusof’s paternal grandmother was Siti Kechik Rokiah (the daughter of Abd Rahman Al-Baghdadi and Hawa Jelani). Abd Rahman was the son of Abdul Qadir Al-Baghdadi.

Yusof’s maternal grandfather was Aminudin bin Nakhoda Sulong (the son of Nakhoda Sulong bin Mohamad Kaul and Uda Saka, also known as Zainab bint Orang Kaya). Aminudin was born in Batu Bara District, Sumatra. Yusof’s great-grandfather Nakhoda Sulong was the son of Mohamad Kaul bin Raja Natan and Puti Kalimah. Yusof’s great-grandmother Uda Saka was the daughter of Orang Kaya Saka Tok Kali Engku Jamaudin Suto Batin Tiang bin Kulindan Suto Malin Suman, and of Raja Halijah/Kak Oncu Kadijah Alsingkil.

Yusof’s maternal grandmother was named Khatijah (the daughter of Mohd Tahir). Mohd was of Afghan descent.

Source: Genealogy of Yusof Ishak – https://www.geni.com

1 Response

  1. madman says:

    “distant Arab and Chinese” is a little misleading.

    The geni profile says “Chinese-Arab Lady believed to be from Hui Baiqi Guo Clan in China (Sharifah Aini?)”. The Hui are a Chinese-speaking Muslim people, mostly in China. They do have some West Asian ancestry, but most likely, Yusof does not have a recent ancestor who was actually Arab.

    I would write “1/8th Hui Chinese” instead. Manila, If I’m wrong, correct me.

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