Halimah Yacob facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Her Excellency Madame Halimah Yacob حليمه بنت يعقوب DUT
Halimah in 2019
8th President of Singapore
In office 14 September 2017 – 14 September 2023
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Tony Tan
Succeeded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Parliamentary offices 7th Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore In office 14 January 2013 – 7 August 2017 Deputy Charles Chong Seah Kian Peng Lim Biow Chuan Preceded by Michael Palmer Succeeded by Tan Chuan-Jin Member of Parliament for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC (Marsiling) In office 11 September 2015 – 7 August 2017 Preceded by Hawazi bin Daipi Succeeded by Zaqy Mohamad Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC (Bukit Batok East) In office 3 November 2001 – 24 August 2015 Preceded by Constituency established Succeeded by Rahayu Mahzam
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State for Social and Family Development In office 1 November 2012 – 14 January 2013 Minister Chan Chun Sing Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports In office 21 May 2011 – 1 November 2012 Minister Chan Chun Sing
Personal details
Born	(1954-08-23) 23 August 1954 (age 70) Colony of Singapore
Political party	Independent (2017–present)
Other political affiliations	People's Action Party (2001–2017)
Spouse	Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	5
Alma mater	University of Singapore (LLB) National University of Singapore (LLM)
Signature

Halimah binte Yacob (born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. She served as the eighth president of Singapore from 2017 to 2023. She made history as the first woman to hold this important position.

Before becoming president, she was a member of the People's Action Party (PAP). She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for over 15 years. From 2013 to 2017, she was the Speaker of Parliament, another first for a woman in Singapore.

To run for president, Halimah had to leave her political party and her role as an MP. The 2017 presidential election was special because it was reserved for candidates from the Malay community. Halimah won the election without any opponents, as other candidates did not meet the requirements.

During her time as president, she helped approve emergency money for Singapore's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. She also spoke up for women's rights. She decided not to run for a second term in the 2023 election.

Early Life and Schooling

Halimah was born on 23 August 1954 in Singapore. Her father was of Indian heritage and her mother was of Malay heritage. Her father, who worked as a watchman, died when she was eight years old.

After her father's death, her family was very poor. Halimah's mother raised her and her four siblings alone. To help her family, Halimah helped her mother sell nasi padang, a type of rice dish, from a food stall.

She was a good student and went to the Singapore Chinese Girls' School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School. She later studied law at the University of Singapore, which is now the National University of Singapore (NUS). She earned her law degree in 1978.

Career Before Politics

In 1978, Halimah started working as a legal officer for the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). The NTUC is an organization that helps protect the rights of workers in Singapore.

She worked at the NTUC for many years and held several important jobs. She became the director of its legal services department and later helped lead the organization as a Deputy Secretary-General. She also worked to support women in the workplace.

From 2000 to 2005, she represented Singapore's workers at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. This is a major meeting where people from all over the world discuss workers' rights.

Start of Her Political Career

Halimah's political career began in the 2001 general election. She was part of a team from the People's Action Party (PAP) and was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person who represents the people of a certain area in the government.

She served as an MP for the Jurong area and later for the Marsiling–Yew Tee area. In 2011, she was given a role as a Minister of State, helping to lead government departments related to community and family development.

In 2013, Halimah was chosen to be the Speaker of Parliament. This is a very important job, as the Speaker manages the meetings of Parliament. She was the first woman in Singapore's history to become Speaker.

During her time as an MP, Halimah spoke out against extremist groups like ISIS. She said their actions were not Islamic and that it was important for communities to work together to stop the spread of harmful ideas.

The 2017 Presidential Election

In 2016, Singapore changed its laws for presidential elections. The new rule said that if no one from a major ethnic community had been president in the last five terms, the next election would be reserved for a candidate from that community.

Because of this change, the 2017 election was reserved for candidates from the Malay community. Halimah decided to run for president. To do this, she had to resign as Speaker of Parliament and as an MP. She also had to leave her political party, the PAP, because the president must be independent.

Campaign and Election

Halimah launched her campaign with the slogan "Do Good Do Together." Some people thought the slogan was not grammatically correct, but she said it was meant to be easy to remember.

Because she was the only candidate who met all the strict requirements, she was declared the winner without an election. On 14 September 2017, she officially became the eighth president of Singapore.

Some people were unhappy that there was no election and used the hashtag #NotMyPresident on social media. Others supported her and used the hashtag #halimahismypresident, encouraging Singaporeans to unite behind their new president.

Her Time as President (2017–2023)

Halimah at the inauguration of South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, 10 May 2022

Halimah was sworn in as president on 14 September 2017. She was the first woman and the first Malay person in 47 years to hold the office.

At first, she wanted to keep living in her public housing flat in Yishun. This was unusual for a president. However, due to security concerns, she later moved to a more secure location.

As president, Halimah traveled to many countries to represent Singapore. She visited Brunei, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. These visits helped to strengthen Singapore's relationships with other nations.

On 29 May 2023, Halimah announced she would not run for re-election. Her term ended on 13 September 2023. She was succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

A Voice for Women's Rights

Halimah (right) attending the APEC Women and the Economy Forum in 2012.

Halimah has always been a strong supporter of women's rights. Her difficult childhood inspired her to study law and help others. She believes in gender equality and has worked to create more opportunities for women.

As president, she supported government efforts to improve the lives of women in Singapore. She also spoke out against disrespectful comments made about women. She often met with workers to understand their problems, especially working mothers.

Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Singapore hard. The government needed a large amount of money to help people and businesses. As president, Halimah had the power to approve the use of money from Singapore's past savings, called national reserves.

She gave her approval twice in 2020, allowing the government to use over $52 billion. This was the largest amount ever taken from the reserves. The money was used to save jobs and support workers during the difficult time.

Life After the Presidency

After leaving office, Halimah took on new roles. On 1 October 2023, she became the chancellor of the Singapore University of Social Sciences. In August 2024, she also became the chief patron for the Securities Investors Association (Singapore), an organization that helps protect investors.

Personal Life

(L–R) Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee, Fazna Ahmed, Halimah and Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on 1 July 2019

Halimah is married to Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee. They met at university and have five children.

Her father was of Indian descent, but Halimah identifies as a Malay Muslim. She ran in the 2017 presidential election as a member of the Malay community.

Awards and Honours

Honours

National

•  Singapore
  • Order of Temasek with High Distinction (29 October 2023)

Foreign

•  Saudi Arabia
  • Collar of the Order of King Abdulaziz (6 November 2019)
•  Kazakhstan
  • Order of Friendship 1st class (22 May 2023)

Awards

Over the years, Halimah has received many awards for her work.

• Berita Harian Achiever of the Year Award (2001)
• Her World Woman of the Year Award (2003)
• AWARE Heroine Award (2011)
• Inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame (2014)
• Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the National University of Singapore (2016)

See also

In Spanish: Halimah Yacob para niños