Tributes pour in for Singapore's former first lady

Tributes and condolences have poured in following the death of Puan Noor Aishah Mohammad Salim, Singapore's former first lady and the widow of the country's first president, Mr Yusof Ishak.

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Puan Noor Aishah died in the early morning on April 22 at Singapore General Hospital. She was 91.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said Puan Noor Aishah played a role in Singapore's history in her own way, and will always be remembered for her grace, compassion and service to others.

In a letter addressed to her three children, President Tharman noted how their mother grew up in a village in Penang where her adoptive parents had settled, and had her primary education disrupted by war.

Yet, at 26, when Mr Yusof became Singapore's Yang di-Pertuan Negara, Puan Noor Aishah "more than rose to the challenge" as first lady.

She took English lessons, organised receptions for visiting dignitaries and helped transform the Istana's colonial style into one that reflected Singapore's local identity.