Mohd Nor bin Mohd Yusofe (Yusnor Ef)

Mohd Nor bin Mohd Yusofe (12 September 1937¹– 16 April 2025), more popularly known as Yusnor Ef, is a prolific lyricist who has written hundreds of songs in the five decades of his musical career. Together with musician contemporaries such as Kassim Masdor, he created numerous hits for Malay singers.

Early Life and Teaching Career
At an early age, Yusnor Ef sold Malay kuehs and did odd jobs to make ends meet. After the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Yusnor Ef attended Telok Kurau Malay School from 1946 to 1953 and then proceeded to teach at Telok Saga Malay School in 1954. He graduated from the Teachers’ Training College with a Higher Diploma in 1958. A talented wordsmith, Yusnor Ef, who is also referred to as Cikgu (Malay for “teacher”), soon began employing his literary skills as a songwriter.²

Musical Career
Yusnor Ef was mentored by P. Ramlee, a preeminent Malay singer, composer, producer and director of the 1950s and ’60s. A great influence on his music and film career, P. Ramlee also gave him the stage name “Yusnor Ef”. In addition to P. Ramlee, Yusnor Ef worked with other composers such as Yusof B., Zubir Said, Kassim Masdor, S. Atan and Ahmad Nawab.³

His collaboration with Kassim Masdor, in particular, led to the founding of a recording company, Senada Records, in 1974. Senada Records produced albums featuring numerous Malay talents like Sanisah Huri, Rafeah Buang, Rahimah Rahim and A. Ramlie.⁴ Yusnor Ef’s long-term partnership with Kassim Masdor saw the creation of hundreds of hit songs, many of which were written by Yusnor Ef, their lyrics inspired by his real-life experiences. These songs resonated deeply with listeners as they could relate to the lyrics, and many of them still fill the airwaves today.⁵

Among his notable songs are “Gelisah”, “Kasih Sayang Suami Isteri”, “Kembalilah Anakku” and “Tak Aku Sangka”. The piece he is proudest of is “Pemimpin Bermaruah”, composed by Iskandar Mirza Ismail and dedicated to former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew when he stepped down as prime minister. Yusnor Ef wrote the Malay lyrics for Dick Lee’s “Home”.⁶

Achievements
Yusnor Ef joined the Ministry of Education in 1983 under the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore to produce educational television programmes for the primary and secondary schools’ Malay language and Islamic Religious Knowledge curriculum. He is a firm believer of sharing his knowledge and skills with the younger generation, guided by his philosophy, “Good music teaches and instils good in people. Bad music spoils the nation.” He opines that every artistic work should have a moral value for those who encounter the work. He sees his efforts as contributions to Singapore and its people.⁷

In 1992, he founded PERKAMUS (Persatuan Karyawan Muzik Melayu Singapura; Society of Singers, Musicians and and Professionals of the Malay Industry in Singapore) and became its president. Through PERKAMUS, Yusnor Ef sought to raise the standards and reputation of local Malay artistes in Singapore.⁸ Yusnor Ef was awarded the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) in 2002 for his contributions to the arts, and in 2011 he received the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to music in Singapore.⁹

To learn more about Yusnor Ef’s early career as a teacher in Singapore prior to independence, you can access his oral history interview here.

Author
Haniman Boniran

References
1. TributeSG, “Yusnor Ef,” The Esplanade, 12 October 2016, https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/yusnor-ef.
2. TributeSG, “Yusnor Ef,” The Esplanade, 12 October 2016, https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/yusnor-ef.
3. Audrey Perera, “Yusnor Ef: Songs about Life,” MusicSG, National Library Board, August 2010, https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/api/MusicDetailPage/ViewPdf?resourceUuid=328d08c3-e8f7-4cb0-915c-06f03eabee6a.
4. Carl Hamm, “Rest in Peace Kassim Masdor,” Pop Yeh Yeh!, 8 February 2014, https://menarigogo.blogspot.com/2014/02/rest-in-peace-kassim-masdor.html.
5. TributeSG, “Yusnor Ef,” The Esplanade, 12 October 2016, https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/yusnor-ef.
6. Audrey Perera, “Yusnor Ef: Songs about Life,” MusicSG, National Library Board, August 2010, https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/api/MusicDetailPage/ViewPdf?resourceUuid=328d08c3-e8f7-4cb0-915c-06f03eabee6a.
7. TributeSG, “Yusnor Ef,” The Esplanade, 12 October 2016, https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/yusnor-ef.
8. Tuminah Sapawi, “Body Set up to Champion Malay Musicians,” Straits Times, 31 January 1994, 14. (From NewspaperSG)
9. Audrey Perera, “Yusnor Ef: Songs about Life,” MusicSG, National Library Board, August 2010, https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/api/MusicDetailPage/ViewPdf?resourceUuid=328d08c3-e8f7-4cb0-915c-06f03eabee6a.

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The information in this article is valid as of October 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit it here.