SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed hopes on Tuesday (July 18) that Singapore’s next President would bring “as much distinction and honour to the office” as its first — the late Yusof Ishak.

Launching a book on Mr Yusof’s widow, Mdm Noor Aishah Mohammad Salim, 84, Mr Lee said Mr Yusof — who died in office in 1970 at the age of 60 — played an important part creating Singapore, but did not live to see its development and transformation.

“But Puan Noor Aishah has witnessed how Singapore, after its tentative beginnings as a nation, has prospered over the last 50 years,” he said. “She celebrated SG50 with us and she should soon see Singapore have another Malay President, if all goes well. I hope it will be a President who will bring as much distinction and honour to the office and will be as well-loved and remembered by Singaporeans as Encik Yusof Ishak”.

The Presidential Election in September has been reserved for the Malay community, after Parliament passed amendments to the Constitution last year.

Recounting how Mr Yusof became the nation’s first President, Mr Lee said Singapore needed to appoint its own Malaya-born Yang di-Pertuan Negara — or Head of State — after the last British Governor William Goode, who was in that position, left the country in December 1959.

“(Founding Prime Minister) Lee Kuan Yew wanted a distinguished Malay as our first Head of State to show the Federation of Malaya that Singaporeans accepted Malays as their leaders and to forge good relations with Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaya and other ... Malay leaders in the Federation,” said Mr Lee. Mr Yusof was sworn in on December 3, 1959, and continued to be the President when Singapore gained independence in 1965.

“He discharged his duties with dedication and dignity and stood for enduring values that underpinned Singapore’s success: meritocracy, multi-racialism, modernisation,” said Mr Lee.

Mdm Noor Aishah, who grew up in Penang, was 26 when she became First Lady. She hired an English teacher to communicate effectively with Singaporeans and foreign dignitaries. She had to manage a large household and carry out official and ceremonial duties. “It was a daunting task,” said Mr Lee.

“But Puan Noor Aishah made all these appear effortless with her grace and her poise,” added Mr Lee. “And she touched the lives of many with her quiet determination, humility and charm”.

The book brought back memories of growing up in Singapore’s early days for Mr Lee, who said he used to play with the three children of the First Couple. “In fact, Imran (Dr Imran Yusof Ishak) taught me to ride a bicycle, on his bike,” he said.

Also leaving an impression was Mdm Noor Aishah’s nasi ulam (a herb rice salad).

“(She) spent days collecting more than a dozen different herbs to make sure she got the taste to perfection,” he added. “I only had it once but I remember it till today. I am therefore very happy that we now have a book about Puan Noor Aishah… It will record for generations of Singaporeans her life story, the role she played, and her contributions to our early nation-building days”.

Titled “Puan Noor Aishah: Singapore’s First Lady”, the 200-page book was written by legal scholar and historian Kevin YL Tan, who described her as a “modest but remarkable woman” in his prologue. It costs S$26.75 and is published by the Straits Times Press.

Speaking briefly to reporters at the event held at The Arts House, Mdm Noor Aishah said in Malay: “If it was up to me, I would not have been interested in making such a book… A million thanks to all who worked on it.”