Halimah binte Yacob (born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who held the office of the eighth
president of Singapore
The president of the Republic of Singapore, is the head of state of Singapore. The president represents the country in official diplomatic functions and possesses certain executive powers over the government of Singapore, including the contro ...
from 2017 to 2023, making her the first woman to serve in this role.
A former member of Singapore's long-dominant
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...
(PAP), Halimah served as the
Member of Parliament (MP) for the
Bukit Batok East
Bukit Batok ( ), often abbreviated as Bt Batok, is a planning area and matured residential town located along the eastern boundary of the West Region of Singapore. Bukit Batok statistically ranks in as the 25th largest, the 10th most populo ...
division of the
Jurong
Jurong () is a major Region, geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region, Singapore, West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the Planning Areas of Singapore, ...
Group Representation Constituency
A group representation constituency (GRC) is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore in which teams of candidates, instead of individual candidates, compete to be elected into Parliament as the Members of Parliament (MPs) for th ...
(GRC) from 2001 to 2015 and then for the
Marsiling
Marsiling is a suburb of Woodlands, Singapore, extends from the north of Woodlands Square to the Woodlands Checkpoint, bordering Malaysia. It presents the older living patterns of Singapore; it is a quieter and much denser estate, often offerin ...
division of the
Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC from 2015 to 2017. She became Singapore's first female
speaker of parliament
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hun ...
, a position she held from 2013 to 2017.
Following a constitutional amendment in 2016, the
2017 presidential election was reserved for candidates from the
Malay community. To qualify, Halimah resigned from the
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...
(PAP) and her position as
Member of Parliament (MP), with her
Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC division covered by other members. She ran as an independent candidate, as required for eligibility, and subsequently won in an
uncontested election
An uncontested election is an election in which the winning candidate did not face a serious challenger. This often entails the number of candidates being the same as or fewer than the number of places available for election, meaning that all cand ...
because her rivals did not meet the necessary qualifications.
During her presidency, Halimah utilised her discretionary powers to approve emergency funding for
Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and advocated for
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
. She chose not to seek re-election in the
2023 presidential election, concluding her term on 13 September 2023, after which she was succeeded by
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Tharman Shanmugaratnam (born 25 February 1957) is a Singaporean politician and economist who has been the current and ninth President of Singapore since 2023.
Prior to his presidency, Tharman served as Senior Minister of Singapore between ...
.
Early life and education
Halimah was born on 23 August 1954 at her family home on
Queen Street in
Singapore during British colonial rule, to an
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Associated with India
* of or related to India
** Indian people
** Indian diaspora
** Languages of India
** Indian English, a dialect of the English language
** Indian cuisine
Associated with indigenous peoples o ...
father and
Malay mother.
Her father was a
watchman who died due to a heart attack when she was eight years old, leaving her and four siblings to be brought up by her mother.
Her family was in poverty at the time of her father's death, and she helped her mother to sell
nasi padang
Nasi padang, sometimes referred to as Padang rice, is a Padang cuisine, Minangkabau dish of steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked Minangkabau cuisine, dishes originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is named after the city ...
outside the former
Singapore Polytechnic
Singapore Polytechnic (SP) is a post-secondary education institution and statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Education in Singapore.
Established in 1954, SP is the first and oldest polytechnic in Singapore, and is renowned for ...
(now Bestway Building) along
Prince Edward Road
Prince Edward Road East (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 太子道東) and Prince Edward Road West (Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: 太子道西) are roads in Kowloon, Hong Kong, going in an east-west direction and linking Tai ...
.
Halimah attended
Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) is an independent girls' school in Novena, Singapore, located next to Stevens MRT station. Founded in 1899, it is one of the oldest institutions in Singapore. It offers a six-year primary education in its p ...
and
Tanjong Katong Girls' School
Tanjong Katong Girls' School (TKGS) is a government autonomous girls' secondary school in Katong, Singapore. Established on 12 January 1953, the school was the first post-war government English girls' school built in Singapore.
History
file:Fred ...
.
She graduated from the University of Singapore (now the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
(NUS)) in 1978 with a
Bachelor of Laws
A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
and was called to the
Singapore Bar in 1981. Halimah earned a
Master of Laws
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject.
In many jurisdi ...
from NUS in 2001 and received an honorary
Doctor of Law
A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
degree from NUS in 2016.
Trade unionist
Halimah began her career in 1978 as a legal officer at the
National Trades Union Congress
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress (SNTUC) internationally, is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore. NTUC leads the labour movement of Singapore, comprising 59 affilia ...
(NTUC)
and was appointed director of its legal services department in 1992.
She advanced within NTUC, holding roles such as assistant director of the Research Unit, Director of the Women's Development Secretariat,
and Executive Secretary of the United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries.
She also served as Assistant Secretary-General from 1999 to 2007 and Deputy Secretary-General from 2007 to 2011.
In 1999, Halimah became the director of the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies (now Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute). She was elected as the Workers' Vice-chairperson of the Standards Committee of the
International Labour Conference
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...
(ILC) in
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
, serving from 2000 to 2002 and in 2005. Between 2003 and 2004, she was the Workers' Spokesperson for the ILC Committee on
Human Resources Development
Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ' ...
and Training.
Early political career
Her first political candidacy began in the
2001 general election, where she joined a five-member
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...
(PAP) team running for Jurong GRC, led by Minister
Lim Boon Heng
Lim Boon Heng (; born 18 November 1947) is a Singaporean trade unionist and former politician. Since retiring from politics, Lim has been the chairman of Temasek Holdings since 2013.
A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) ...
.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Tharman Shanmugaratnam (born 25 February 1957) is a Singaporean politician and economist who has been the current and ninth President of Singapore since 2023.
Prior to his presidency, Tharman served as Senior Minister of Singapore between ...
, who would later succeed her as president, also made his political debut alongside her in this election. Halimah represented Bukit Batok East as an MP until 2015, after which she was elected to represent the newly-formed Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC from 2015 to 2017.
During her first term, Halimah was appointed
Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
After a
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filin ...
reshuffle in November 2012, she transitioned to serve as
Minister of State for Social and Family Development.
In addition to her ministerial roles, Halimah was also the chairperson of the Jurong Town Council.
On 8 January 2013, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former military officer who served as the third Prime Minister of Singapore, prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, thereafter serving as a Senior Minister of S ...
nominated Halimah to succeed
Michael Palmer as Speaker of Parliament after Palmer resigned due to revelations of an extramarital affair.
She was elected to the position on 14 January 2013, becoming the first woman in Singapore's history to hold this role.
During her tenure, she also led a legislative delegation to Mexico.
In January 2015, she was co-opted into the PAP's
Central Executive Committee (CEC), the party's highest decision-making body.
In a strong response to
ISIS
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
-linked beliefs, Singapore detained 26 members of a foreign jihadist cell involved in extremist teachings and intervened in several cases of self-radicalised Singaporeans attempting to join ISIS in Syria in 2015. During her time as an MP, Halimah condemned ISIS's acts as un-Islamic and harmful to the image of Islam, stressing that countering its ideology is more essential than military action. She urges young people to resist extremism online and supports community gatherings to build resilience, highlighting the shared responsibility to prevent self-radicalisation. Halimah also encourages Muslim parents to stay vigilant and promote open communication within families and communities.
2017 presidential election
While speaking during the debate on the Presidential Elections Amendment Bill on 6 February 2017,
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
A Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (, ''Sar BeMisrad Rosh HaMemshala'') is a minister and member of the Cabinet of Israel appointed by the Prime Minister of Israel to handle various issues on behalf of the Prime Minister.
Current and form ...
Chan Chun Sing
Chan Chun Sing ( zh, s=陈振声, p=Chén Zhènshēng, j=Can4 Zan3 Sing1, first=j; born 9 October 1969) is a Singaporean politician and former major-general who is serving as Minister for Defence in 2025 and Minister-in-charge of Public Serv ...
addressed Halimah as "Madam President" twice instead of "Madam Speaker", drawing laughter from the house and leading to widespread speculation that Halimah would be the party's preferred candidate for the reserved presidential elections.
In 2016, presidential eligibility criteria were changed so that if the presidency had not been held by a member of one of Singapore's major race communities in the previous five terms, the next term would be reserved for members of that community.
As a result of the change, the 2017 presidential election was reserved for Malay candidates.
Later, eligibility criteria were changed again to require private sector candidates to be a senior executive of a company worth at least
S$500 million. Public sector candidates who have held certain offices are automatically eligible; Halimah qualified under this rule.
To contest for the elected presidency, Halimah announced on 6 August 2017 that she would step down as speaker of parliament and MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee the following day. She also resigned from the PAP. Prime Minister Lee accepted her resignation, expressing gratitude for her contributions to labour, community, and legislative service and expressing confidence in her ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the presidency. Halimah was widely seen as the
PAP's candidate for the
2017 presidential election and received endorsement from Prime Minister Lee.
In an interview on 11 August 2017, Halimah expressed her support for the reserved presidential election, saying it demonstrated Singapore's commitment to multiracialism alongside meritocracy. While some critics argued the reserved election compromised meritocracy, Halimah disagreed, emphasising that all candidates must meet the same eligibility criteria, ensuring no compromise between merit and representation.
Responding to comments on the lower qualifying threshold for public sector candidates, Halimah said that the system is transparent and has been in place since 1991.
Campaign
On 25 August 2017, Halimah launched her official campaign website, including her campaign slogan "Do Good Do Together", which was criticised by many for being ungrammatical. She defended her slogan, explaining that it is meant to be catchy. In response to public queries whether Halimah broke election rules by campaigning ahead of the nomination day, the Elections Department clarified that its rule which forbids candidates from campaigning before close of nomination only applies to candidates who are nominated.
Halimah's campaign expenses reached only $220,875 out of the $754,982.40 legal limit. Her expenses were used for promotional material, room rental, office supplies, food, transport and phone bills. Queries were also raised regarding Halimah's long affiliation with the PAP and perceived lack of political independence as she quit the party just one month ago to campaign in the election. Halimah responded by comparing herself to former President Ong Teng Cheong, who was also a PAP member before being elected. She also cited that she had abstained from voting in an amendment for the Human Organ Transplant Act in 2007.
Former NMP
Calvin Cheng
Calvin Cheng Ern Lee is a Singaporean businessman and former Nominated Member of Parliament. Cheng is known for his views on socio-political issues in Singapore. He began his business career in the modeling industry and expanded into event hos ...
suggested that Halimah did not appear to have the professional experience needed to manage the
financial reserves. According to ''Publichouse.sg''s estimate, her financial management involvement was only about $40 million, much less than the stringent $500 million shareholders' equity requirement for private sector candidates.
Election
Being the only candidate to be issued a
Certificate of Eligibility, Halimah became the eighth president of Singapore.
Tan Cheng Bock
Adrian Tan Cheng Bock ( zh, s=陈清木, poj=Tân Chheng-bo̍k; born 26 April 1940) is a Singaporean former politician and physician.
A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayer ...
, a former presidential candidate, wrote that Halimah "will occupy the most controversial presidency in the history of Singapore".
''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'' described her as "popular and able".
Reactions
After Halimah Yacob's resignation as the sole minority MP in Singapore's Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC, opposition parties and residents called for a
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
, which the ruling PAP government declined to hold. In response, resident Wong Souk Yee, with the support of the
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a social liberal political party in Singapore. Founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, the party gained its first seat in 6th Parliament of Singapore, Parliament in 1984 Singaporean general election, 1984 when ...
(SDP), filed a lawsuit in the
High Court, arguing that the
Parliamentary Elections Act requires a by-election to be held when a vacancy occurs in a GRC. Wong's lawyer cited Article 49(1) of the
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
, which mandates that any vacant parliamentary seat be filled through an election, to support this claim.
After the
Elections Department
The Elections Department Singapore (ELD), known endonymously as the Elections Department, is a department under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) of the Government of Singapore which are responsible for overseeing the procedure for elections ...
announced that Halimah was the only possible candidate for the presidency, global media monitoring house
''Meltwater'' observed a significant increase in negative sentiment on social media surrounding the presidential elections from 11 to 12 September 2017. The sentiment observed was 83% negative and 17% positive. Following the announcement, a number of Singaporeans began using the hashtag
#NotMyPresident on
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
and
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
to voice their disappointment.
In response, ''The Straits Times'' reported that there was the use of #halimahismypresident by an "equally vocal group", urging "Singaporeans to rally round their next president".
Presidency (2017–2023)
Halimah was sworn in as the President of Singapore on 14 September 2017 at
The Istana
The Istana (from the Malay word for "palace") is the official residence and office of the president of Singapore. The palace is open to the public during scheduled public holidays and is where the president receives and entertains state guests ...
. She became Singapore's first female president and the first Malay president in 47 years. In her role, she was also appointed ''
ex officio
An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...
'' as chancellor of both the NUS and
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1981, it is also the second oldest autonomous university in the country.
The university is organised across numerous colleges and schools, includi ...
.
Halimah Yacob initially decided to continue living in her public
Housing Development Board
The Housing & Development Board (HDB; often referred to as the Housing Board; ; ; ), is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development responsible for the public housing in Singapore. Established in 1960 as a result of effo ...
(HDB) flat in
Yishun
Yishun ( ), formerly known as Nee Soon, is a New towns of Singapore, residential town located in the northeastern corner of the North Region, Singapore, North Region of Singapore, bordering Simpang and Sembawang to the north, Mandai to the we ...
after being sworn in as president, making her the first president to reside in public housing. Her residence was a duplex consisting of a 5-room and a 4-room flat joined by demolishing the median wall.
However, her decision raised security concerns, and on 2 October 2017, the
Ministry of Home Affairs
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, the i ...
announced that, following recommendations from security agencies due to identified threats, she moved to a more secure location. The government continues to oversee her residence and security arrangements.
Halimah made her first state visit as president to Brunei on 11 May 2018, where she witnessed the signing of a financial technology agreement and a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to exchange information related to money laundering and terrorist financing between Singapore and Brunei. At the invitation of
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born 27 April 1967) is King of the Netherlands since 30 April 2013.
Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht during the reign of his maternal grandmother, Queen Juliana, as the eldest ch ...
, Halimah was the first president of Singapore to visit the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
since the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries on 7 December 1965. The visit took place from 20 to 24 November 2018.
To celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties, Halimah Yacob visited the Philippines from 8 to 12 September 2019, where she participated in events in
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
and
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...
, including the Philippines–Singapore Business Council Meeting, a tour of the Philippine Eagle Center, and, on 9 September, oversaw the signing of eight MOUs between Singapore and the Philippines, covering areas such as infrastructure, data protection, water management, and education, alongside
Philippine President
The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in- ...
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the first Philippine president from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assum ...
. Prior to her visit to Saudi Arabia, Halimah Yacob conducted a state visit to Kuwait. Later that same year, she became Singapore's first president to visit Saudi Arabia, where she was conferred the collar of the
Order of King Abdulaziz
The Order of King Abdulaziz (Arabic: وسام الملك عبد العزيز Wisām al-malik ‘Abd al-‘Azīz) is a Saudi Arabian order of merit. The order was named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of the modern Saudi state.
History
In 1971 ...
.
In 2023, Halimah Yacob conducted several overseas visits, including trips to Malaysia and Qatar. During her visit to Malaysia, she participated in a tree-planting ceremony at
Istana Negara, an honour typically reserved for heads of state. On 29 May 2023, Halimah announced that she would not seek re-election in the
2023 presidential election. Her term expired on 13 September, and she was succeeded by the ninth president, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, on 14 September.
Advocate for gender equality
Halimah's difficult upbringing inspired her to get a legal degree and defend the weak, which is why she is an advocate for women's rights. She focused on topics including equitable employment and reasonably priced healthcare when she initially entered politics in 2001 as Singapore's first female Malay MP. She stresses the necessity for ongoing cultural transformation and respect for women as equals, even as she appreciates the advancements made in gender equality. As president, Halimah supported initiatives like the White Paper on Singapore Women's Development to address gender issues. She underscored the need for protections for older workers and advocated for legal reforms to ensure justice for sexual assault victims, arguing that age should not exempt offenders from
corporal punishment
A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on Minor (law), minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or Padd ...
. Through her work under the
President's Challenge
President's Challenge is an annual campaign in Singapore supported by the kindness and generosity of people from all walks of life, regardless of culture, religion or family background, to help those less fortunate — specifically for the benefic ...
, she also focused on empowering disadvantaged groups and promoting religious harmony and multicultural dialogue alongside gender equality.
In 2019, Halimah advocated for companies to embrace gender equality, noting that it will increase innovation and business profitability during her speech at the Women's Forum Asia. She had also publicly voiced her views about a local podcast, ''OkLetsGo'', for their offensive remarks against women and asked the hosts of the show for an apology for their remarks.
In order to keep up with workers' concerns, she frequently met with union officials from a variety of industries.
Mary Liew, president of NTUC, said that Halimah "always had a heart for women" and was aware of the problems of working moms because she was one herself.
Halimah praised the notable advancements made in women's development in Singapore during her remarks at the 9th Singapore Women Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. She highlighted the country's improved gender equality ranking and the growing number of women in leadership positions and other fields. While acknowledging the vital roles social service partners play in bolstering these efforts, she underlined the significance of male-female collaborations and called for a concerted effort to dispel
gender stereotypes
A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex.
Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gendered ...
and improve chances for women in the workplace. Eight new inductees were recognised during the event, which highlighted their remarkable accomplishments and experiences and reaffirmed the importance of female role models in motivating the next generation to create a more just society.
COVID-19 response
In April 2020, in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
The COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case in :Singapore was confirmed on 23 January 2020. Early cases we ...
, Halimah approved the government's request to draw $21 billion from the past national reserves, aimed at subsidising wages of 1.9 million workers and preserving jobs and businesses. On 7 April 2020, the Supplementary Supply Bill was revised for the Resilience and Solidarity Budgets and the revised bill was assented by Halimah on 9 April 2020. On 5 June 2020, the Parliament of Singapore passed the Second Supplementary Supply Bill for the Fortitude Budget, to allow for the government to draw an additional of $31 billion from the past reserves, aimed at securing employment for those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic as the country loosens restrictions after the circuit breaker.
On 16 June 2020, Halimah assented to the Second Supplementary Supply Bill, which enacted the Second Supplementary Supply Act, to allow the government the additional requested funds to ease the effects of the pandemic. This marked the second time that the past reserves of Singapore were drawn in the financial year of 2020 and it was also the largest amount drawn from the past reserves since Singapore's independence, with the funds totalling $52 billion. She was the second president to exercise the
president's discretionary powers for this purpose, after President
S. R. Nathan
Sellapan Ramanathan (; 3 July 1924 – 22 August 2016),. often known as S. R. Nathan, was a Singaporean statesman who served as the sixth president of Singapore between 1999 and 2011. He was the longest-serving president in the country's histor ...
in 2009 did so for the
2008 financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
.
Post-presidency (2023–present)
After her presidency, Halimah became the chancellor of the
Singapore University of Social Sciences
The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is a public autonomous university in Singapore. Established in 2017, SUSS focuses on applied degree programmes primarily in the social sciences. In 2017, SUSS received its inaugural class of ...
from 1 October 2023.
She became Stephen Lee's successor and was notable for being a SUSS patron.
On 30 August 2024, she replaced
Tony Tan
Tony Tan Keng Yam (; born 7 February 1940) is a Singaporean banker and politician who served as the seventh president of Singapore between 2011 and 2017.
Prior to entering politics, Tan was a general manager at OCBC Bank. He made his polit ...
as the Securities Investors Association (Singapore)'s new chief patron. She was chosen for this position by the association because of her services to Singapore.
Personal life
Halimah is married to Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee, and they have five children.
Mohammed graduated from NUS with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
. It was also where he first met Halimah.
Although Halimah is categorised as an Indian Muslim due to her father's descent,
she ran for the
2017 presidential election as a Malay candidate and identifies herself as a Malay Muslim.
Awards and honours
Honours
On 22 May 2023,
President of Kazakhstan
The president of Kazakhstan, officially the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the executive head of state of the Kazakhstan and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. As the highest-ranking official ...
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...
awarded Halimah the
Order of Friendship
The Order of Friendship (, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at ...
1st class.
Later on 29 October 2023, she was awarded the
Order of Temasek
The Darjah Utama Temasek () is Singapore's second most prestigious Singaporean orders and decorations, national honour and was instituted in 1962. It is an Order (distinction), Order conferred by the President of Singapore only to citizens of Si ...
(with high distinction) for serving Singapore with distinction over four decades and for her lifetime of devoted and distinguished service.
National
*
**
Order of Temasek
The Darjah Utama Temasek () is Singapore's second most prestigious Singaporean orders and decorations, national honour and was instituted in 1962. It is an Order (distinction), Order conferred by the President of Singapore only to citizens of Si ...
with High Distinction (29 October 2023)
Foreign
*
** Collar of the
Order of King Abdulaziz
The Order of King Abdulaziz (Arabic: وسام الملك عبد العزيز Wisām al-malik ‘Abd al-‘Azīz) is a Saudi Arabian order of merit. The order was named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of the modern Saudi state.
History
In 1971 ...
(6 November 2019)
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Order of Friendship
The Order of Friendship (, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds and efforts have been aimed at ...
1st class (22 May 2023)
Awards
In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the ''
Berita Harian
''BH'', previously known as ''Berita Harian'', is a Malay daily newspaper in Malaysia, published by the New Straits Times Press. It was first issued on 1 July 1957. Its Sunday edition, ''BH Ahad'' (formerly ''Berita Minggu''), debuted on 10 ...
Achiever of the Year Award'' in 2001, the ''
Her World
''Her World'' is a monthly English-language magazine published in Singapore targeted at the female professionals reading market. It is also the first English-language women's magazine to be published in Singapore.
History
The magazine was publi ...
Woman of the Year Award'' in 2003, and the
AWARE
In philosophy and psychology, awareness is the perception or knowledge of something. The concept is often synonymous with consciousness. However, one can be aware of something without being explicitly conscious of it, such as in the case of blin ...
Heroine Award 2011.
She was also inducted into the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations'
Singapore Women's Hall of Fame
The Singapore Women's Hall of Fame is a virtual hall of fame that honors and documents the lives of historically significant women in Singapore. The hall is the creation of the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO), and grew out of an ...
in 2014. She also received an Honorary
Doctor of Law
A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...
s from the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...
in 2016.
Notes
References
External links
Mdm Halimah Yacobat istana.gov.sg
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{{Authority control
1954 births
21st-century women politicians
Living people
Members of the Parliament of Singapore
National University of Singapore alumni
People's Action Party politicians
Presidents of Singapore
Singaporean Muslims
Singaporean politicians of Malay descent
Singaporean politicians of Indian descent
Singaporean women in politics
Speakers of the Parliament of Singapore
Women legislative speakers
Women presidents in Asia
First women presidents