Dato Paduka Haji Yusoff bin Haji 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]
Yusoff Abdul Hamid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| يوسف عبدالحميد | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Barack Obama and Yusoff in 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 March 1949 Kuala Belait, Belait, Brunei | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Education edit
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 edit
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 edit
Yusoff was born on 1 March 1949, in Kuala Belait, is married to Datin Mahani bin Dato Haji 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 edit
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)
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References edit
- ^ a b "Sultanate – News | Negara Brunei Darussalam | Sultan grants audience to envoys". www.sultanate.com. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Brunei". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d Sidhu, Jatswan S. (22 December 2009). Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam. Scarecrow Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8108-7078-9.
- ^ a b c d e Yunos, Rozan (2005). "Dato Yusof Hamid". BRUNEI resources – Ministry of Communications. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Staff, JAMES WOODCOCK/Gazette (23 May 2012). "Dato Yusoff Abd Hamid, ambassador of Brunei". Billings Gazette. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Ambassador from Brunei: Who is Yusoff Hamid?". AllGov. Retrieved 18 December 2023.