Yusoff Abdul Hamid

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Abdul Hamid is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Yusoff. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.

Dato Paduka Yusoff Abdul Hamid DPMB SNB PIKB
يوسف عبدالحميد
Minister Yusoff in 2005
1st Deputy Minister of Communications
In office 24 May 2005 – October 2009
Monarch	Hassanal Bolkiah
Minister	Abu Bakar Apong
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Other positions Chairman of Brunei Economic Development Board In office 2001–2004 Preceded by Office reestablished Succeeded by Mohammad Daud
Diplomatic positions Ambassador of Brunei to the United States In office 4 November 2009 – 2016 Preceded by Pengiran Anak Puteh Succeeded by Serbini Ali Ambassador of Brunei to Belgium In office 25 October 2004 – May 2005 Preceded by Mashor Ahmad Succeeded by Yunus Mahmud High Commissioner of Brunei to the United Kingdom In office 8 December 1999 – 2001 Preceded by Mustapha Metassan Succeeded by Yunus Mahmud Ambassador of Brunei to Japan In office 1996–1997 Preceded by Idris Mohammad Succeeded by Malai Ahmad Murad High Commissioner of Brunei to Australia In office 1993–1996 Succeeded by Malai Ahmad Murad
Personal details
Born	(1949-03-01)1 March 1949 Kuala Belait, Belait, Brunei
Alma mater	Birmingham City University (BA) Royal Institute of Public Administration University of Oxford Tufts University
Occupation	Politician diplomat

Yusoff bin Abdul Hamid (born 1 March 1949) is a retired diplomat and politician from Brunei who served as the Deputy Minister of Communications from 2005 to 2009,[1][2] the high commissioner and ambassador to several countries, including the United States and United Kingdom.[3]

Education

Yusoff attended college in the United Kingdom, earning a Bachelor of Arts (with honours) in economics from City of Birmingham Polytechnic in 1976. He proceeded to work as an administrative officer in the Treasury Department for four years after finishing his education. He got a Certificate in Financial management from the Royal Institute of Public Administration in London during this time in 1979.[4][3]

Career

Shakeel Ahmad and Yusoff in 2005

Yusoff worked as a private and confidential secretary to Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, the minister of foreign affairs, for the first half of the 1980s. In 1982, he further completed his study, earning a Diplomacy Certificate from Oxford University and attending a conference on the goals and techniques of development cooperation at the German Foundation in Berlin. He was the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Economic Department from 1986 to 1988. While obtaining a master's degree in law and diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States in 1987. He was then appointed director of the ASEAN Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until 1992.[4][3]

Yusoff was appointed High Commissioner to Australia the following year and served for four years. His first ambassadorship was to Japan in 1996. In 1997, he was appointed deputy permanent secretary in the ministry, and in 2000, he was promoted to high commissioner to the United Kingdom and ambassador to Ireland. He was chairman of the Economic Development Board from 2001 until 2004. He was appointed ambassador to Belgium on 25 October 2004.[3] The following year, he was appointed as the head of the Brunei Mission to the European Union, as well as ambassador to the Netherlands and Hungary, and as Brunei's permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Later same year, he was appointed deputy minister of communications, a position he held until he was appointed ambassador to the United States.[4][5] On 20 August 2009, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah handed Letters of Credentials to newly appointed Brunei envoys at Istana Nurul Iman.[1]

Personal life

Yusoff was born on 1 March 1949, in Kuala Belait, is married to Mahani bin Abu Zar, and they have three sons and one daughter.[4] He enjoys golf, walking, and jogging while he is not handling foreign affairs for his country.[6]

Honours

Main article: Orders, decorations, and medals of Brunei

Yusoff has earned the following honours:[4]

• Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Second Class (DPMB) – Dato Paduka
• Order of Setia Negara Brunei Third Class (SNB); Fourth Class (PSB)
• Excellent Service Medal (PIKB)

References

1. Jason Leong (21 August 2009). "Sultan grants audience to envoys". www.sultanate.com. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
2. "Brunei". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
3. Jatswan S. Sidhu (22 December 2009). Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam. Scarecrow Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8108-7078-9.
4. Rozan Yunos (2005). "DATO HAJI YUSOFF BIN HAJI ABD HAMID, DEPUTY MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS". Ministry of Communications. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
5. JAMES WOODCOCK/Gazette (23 May 2012). "Dato Yusoff Abd Hamid, ambassador of Brunei". billingsgazette.com. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
6. Noel Brinkerhoff (24 July 2011). "Ambassador from Brunei: Who is Yusoff Hamid?". www.allgov.com. Retrieved 18 December 2023.

Political offices
Preceded by Office established	1st Deputy Minister of Communications 24 May 2005 – October 2009	Succeeded by Office abolished
Business positions
Preceded by Office reestablished	Chairman of Brunei Economic Development Board 2001–2004	Succeeded by Mohammad Daud
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Pengiran Anak Puteh	Ambassador of Brunei to the United States 4 November 2009 – 2016	Succeeded by Serbini Ali
Preceded by Mashor Ahmad	Ambassador of Brunei to Belgium 25 October 2004 – May 2005	Succeeded by Yunus Mahmud
Preceded by Mustapha Metassan	High Commissioner of Brunei to the United Kingdom 8 December 1999 – 2001	Succeeded by Yunus Mahmud
Preceded by Idris Mohammad	Ambassador of Brunei to Japan 1996–1997	Succeeded by Malai Ahmad Murad