Alex Josey

Alexander Arthur Josey (3 April 1910 – 15 October 1986) was a British journalist, political writer and commentator, biographer, and during WWII and the Malayan Emergency, a propagandist.

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 working as a journalist on the Poole Herald and the Bournemouth Times.

In 1926, he left for London and about the same time became a member of the Labour Party although he described himself as a very early socialist.

The same year he resurrected the Poole Wheelers Club along with his brother Cyril and became its Vice-President.

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 still involved with them as late as 1940.

He was a founding member of the Pedal Club in 1941 and the next year became assistant editor of Cycling magazine under H. H. England, where he is credited as having written the 12th edition of the Cycling Manual and Year Book.

He was a keen collector of books and papers of historical interest on cycling, his collection archived at the University of Warwick library.

In 1941, he left London, joined the Air Force and was promoted to officer.

Because of his journalism skills, he was recruited for duties in psychological warfare and transferred to Cairo.

After Cairo, he was moved to Palestine circa 1946 as there was 'trouble brewing' and worked in Palestine Broadcasting Service as Controller of Programmes in charge of psychological warfare until the end of mandate in 1947/48.

While in Palestine he helped the local cabaret girls form their own union.

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.

While in England he was married and lived for a short while in Wimbledon.

His wife went out to Malaysia with him but didn't like it there so she went back to the UK and they were eventually divorced.

He briefly worked in Paris for Jackie Lane, the Secretary of the United Nations.

In 1949, Josey was encouraged by Sir Henry Gurney, the High Commissioner in Malaya to come over to Singapore and 'do psychological warfare against the Malayan Communist Party"

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.

Turning to freelancing for the Singapore Standard, he gained the permanent position of News Controller for Radio Singapore in 1951.

It was while in this position he became friends with Lee Kuan Yew.

According to Josey, it was because he put on the radio the strikers' arguments (strike in 1951) for the first time which infuriated the British colonial people, and amused Lee, which sparked their friendship.

In July 1952, Josey along with Dr Goh Keng Swee and Kenny Byrne formed the short-lived Council of Join Action.

By 1954, he had become a full-time Journalist for the Singapore Standard.

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.

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.

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.