Quick Facts
Biography
Noor Aishah binti Mohammad Salim (born 1933) was the first-ever First Lady of Singapore from 1965 to 1970. She was married to Yusof Ishak, the first president of Singapore.
Early life
Noor Aishah was born in Penang in 1933, and was adopted by Mohammad Salim Jusoh (formerly known as Barney Perkins) and Fatimah Ali.
First Lady
As the First Lady, Noor Aishah was patron for the Singapore Red Cross, the Young Women’s Muslim Association, and the Girl Guides Association.
Girl Guides
Noor Aishah became the first Asian president of the Singapore Girl Guides Association (as it was then known) in 1959. In 1965, she became the patron of the movement. She was awarded the Laurel Leaf, the highest award of the Singapore Girl Guides' Association, in 1970.
Veteran Guiding leaders credit her with helping to raise funds for the movement when funding was scarce, and with helping to secure a plot of land for their headquarters in the Clemenceau area in the 1960s.
The Girl Guides named the Puan Noor Aishah Award after her.
Awards
Noor Aishah was awarded the Pingat Bakti Chemerlang (Distinguished Service Medal; later replaced by the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang, or Distinguished Service Order) in 1964 for her work in social welfare.