In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 2 May 1923
- Died
- 11 April 2016
- Birthplace
- Tutong District, Brunei
- Country
- Brunei
- Nationality
- Bruneian
- Known for
- Writing the lyrics of “Allah Peliharakan Sultan,” Brunei’s national anthem
- Full name
- Pengiran Muhammad Yusuf bin Pengiran Abdul Rahim
- Pen name
- Yura Halim
- National work
- Lyrics of “Allah Peliharakan Sultan”
- Literary honour
- S.E.A. Write Award · 1993
Why this life matters
Yura Halim shows how literary nationalism and state-building overlapped in twentieth-century Brunei, where a poet could also become chief minister and diplomat.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Tutong
Born on 2 May and later entered education and public service.
Wrote national anthem lyrics
Created the words paired with Haji Awang Besar Sagap’s melody.
Anthem officially adopted
“Allah Peliharakan Sultan” became Brunei’s official national anthem.
Served as chief minister
Led Brunei’s administration while continuing a wider diplomatic and cultural career.
Received the S.E.A. Write Award
Recognised in Bangkok for his contribution to poetry.
Writing a language of nationhood
Pengiran Muhammad Yusuf wrote under the name Yura Halim. In 1947 he supplied the lyrics for a patriotic song composed by Haji Awang Besar Sagap. Schoolteachers spread the song, royal events adopted it and in 1952 it became the national anthem.
His literary work extended beyond the anthem into poetry, fiction and history. The S.E.A. Write Award recognised him in 1993, placing Brunei’s Malay-language writing within a regional literary institution.
Writer, administrator and diplomat
Yura Halim’s public career included senior administrative, chief ministerial and diplomatic responsibilities. That combination was not incidental: literary language, schooling and administration were all part of defining a modern Bruneian state.
Because the anthem remains in official use, his most concise work is also his most widely encountered. It presents monarchy, country, justice and collective well-being in six lines that became part of Brunei’s civic ritual.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Yura Halim
- Who was Yura Halim?
- Yura Halim was a poet, novelist, statesman and national anthem lyricist. Yura Halim shows how literary nationalism and state-building overlapped in twentieth-century Brunei, where a poet could also become chief minister and diplomat.
- What is Yura Halim best known for?
- Yura Halim is best known for writing the lyrics of “Allah Peliharakan Sultan,” Brunei’s national anthem.
- When and where was Yura Halim born?
- Yura Halim was born on 2 May 1923 in Tutong District, Brunei.
- When did Yura Halim die?
- Yura Halim died on 11 April 2016.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.
