Alex Josey

Alexander Arthur Josey (3 April 1910 – 15 October 1986) was a British-Singaporean journalist, political writer and commentator, biographer, and during WWII and the Malayan Emergency, a propagandist. He is best known for his biographies on the former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, as well as: Democracy in Singapore: The 1970 By-Elections, Singapore: Its Past, Present and Future, Socialism in Asia, and Trade Unionism in Malaya.

Born in Poole, UK, Josey was an avid writer from an early age. He was also an avid cyclist, and was a founding member of the Pedal Club and resurrected the Poole Wheelers Cycling Club. He became assistant editor of Cycling under H. H. England and wrote the 12th edition of the Cycling Manual and Year Book.

During WWII, Josey was in charge of psychological warfare in Cairo and Palestine. After the war, he was in charge of psychological warfare against the terrorists during the Malayan Emergency. He was employed by Radio Malaya and later Radio Singapore as a political commentator and Controller of News. He wrote over twenty political novels and wrote many political articles on Singapore and Malaysia for various Singapore and international newspapers and journals. He became a good friend of Lee Kuan Yew who later became the Prime Minister of Singapore. He was the first foreign correspondent to be kicked out of Singapore (then part of Malaysia) by the Malaysian government. He returned to Singapore after its independence from Malaysia and became Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's Press Secretary for 10 years, and biographer and public relations officer. He later became the Publications Manager of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce before being crippled by Parkinson's disease. Although planning to return to England due to the high cost of his medicine, he died aged 76 on 15 October 1986 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. His ashes are kept at the Singapore Casket, 131 Lavender Street, Singapore.

Early life In 1915–1923, Josey attended South Road Elementary School, until aged 14. He initially gained work in a factory, but in 1926, the factory joined the (National Strike), and so he decided to instead go in pursuit of his real objective which was writing and joined the local newspaper as a reporter

He was a member of the Road Racing Council 1926–1937 and the Road Time Trials Council 1937–43 of which he was National Secretary. He was briefly lent by the Air Force to the Palestine Government to look after their public relations, but when the work ended he returned to England.

In early 1950, he became Staff Officer (Emergency Information), for the Emergency Information Service in Malaya (Controller of Emergency Broadcasting). His job was to intensify propaganda against the terrorists and to the public, through his position as Chief News Editor of Radio Malaya. After Gurney, his main support, was assassinated in an ambush on 6 October 1951, his services were 'no longer required' and his contract was not renewed. and was credited as the first foreign correspondent to be expelled from either colonial Malaya or an independent democratic Malaysia. The expulsion was considered to be an attempt by extremists in the Alliance to slow down the Malaysian Malaysia movement, and an attack on the People's Action Party leaders.

In 1970, he became an office bearer of the Singapore Squash Rackets Association in its early years. In 1971 he is labelled as being the editor of the Asia Pacific Record.

By 1983, he had become the publication manager of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce.

He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1976. By 1985, crippled by the disease, he planned to leave Singapore for England to live with his sister as his royalties barely covered his medical costs. He had to cancel his plans though as his brother had fallen ill and his sister "could not take on the additional burden."

Josey died on 15 October 1986, age 75 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital

Other notables Josey performed radio-based psychological warfare for Yugoslavs, against Turkey, and against Greece.

Archives Online Singapore Access to Archives Online Singapore (a2O)

Books published 1941: Accident (psychological thriller) 1954: Trade unionism in Malaya [7 editions published between 1954 and 1958 in English and Undetermined] 1957: Socialism in Asia [6 editions published in 1957 in English] 1968: Labour laws in a changing Singapore 1968: Lee Kuan Yew in London [2 editions published in 1968 in English] 1968: The crucial years ahead : Republic of Singapore general election 1968 [1 edition published in 1968 in English] 1969: Golf in Singapore 1969: Lee Kuan Yew and the Commonwealth [3 editions published in 1969 in English and Undetermined] 1970: Democracy in Singapore: The 1970 by elections [4 editions published in 1970 in English] 1970: Singapore panorama; 150 years in pictures. (Text by Alex Josey and Eric Jennings. Edited by Eric Jennings) [1 edition published in 1970 in English] 1971: Lee Kuan Yew [25 editions published between 1968 and 1984 in 4 languages] 1972: The Singapore general elections, 1972 [3 editions published in 1972 in English] 1973: Asia Pacific socialism [2 editions published in 1973 in English] 1973: The trial of Sunny Ang [4 editions published between 1973 and 1984 in English] 1974: Lee Kuan Yew: Struggle for Singapore [10 editions published between 1974 and 1981 in 3 languages] 1976: Industrial relations: Labour laws in a developing Singapore [1 edition published in 1976 in English] 1978: Personal opinion [3 editions published in 1978 in English and Undetermined] 1980: Lee Kuan Yew: The Crucial Years [4 editions published between 1980 and 1994 in English] 1980: Pulau Senang: The experiment that failed [3 editions published in 1980 in English] 1980: Singapore: Its Past, Present and Future [11 editions published between 1979 and 1980 in English and Undetermined] 1981: More personal opinions 1981: The David Marshall trials [12 editions published between 1981 and 2008 in English and Undetermined] 1981: The tenth man: Gold bar murders [3 editions published in 1981 in English] 1982: David Marshalls Political Interlude [1 edition published in 1982 in English] 2009: Bloodlust (reprint of The tenth man-gold bar murders first published in 1973; The murder of a beauty queen first published in 1984) 2009: Cold-blooded murders (reprint of The trial of Sunny Ang, and Pulau Senang-the experiment that failed.) 2009: True Singapore Crimes (book 1 and 2 – reprints of Pulau Senang: The experiment that failed and The Tenth Man Gold Bar Trials

Books about Alex Josey Safian, Mohd. (1965) Alex Josey: Wartawan. Singapura: Penerbitan Riwayah (Malay)