Halimah Yacob facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Her Excellency Madame
Halimah Yacob
DUT
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Halimah in 2019
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| 8th President of Singapore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 14 September 2017 – 14 September 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tony Tan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tharman Shanmugaratnam | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 August 1954 Colony of Singapore (present-day Singapore) |
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| Political party | Independent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
People's Action Party (2001–2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee
(m. 1980) |
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| Children | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Singapore (LLB) National University of Singapore (LLM) |
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| Signature |  |
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Halimah binti 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 role.
Before becoming president, Halimah was a member of Singapore's main political party, the People's Action Party (PAP). She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for different areas from 2001 to 2017. She also became Singapore's first female Speaker of Parliament, a position she held from 2013 to 2017.
In 2017, the presidential election was set aside for candidates from the Malay community. Halimah left the PAP to run as an independent candidate, which is a rule for presidential hopefuls. She won the election without anyone running against her, as other candidates did not meet the requirements. As president, she helped approve money for Singapore's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. She also spoke up for women's rights. She decided not to run for president again in 2023. Her term ended on 13 September 2023, and Tharman Shanmugaratnam became the new president.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Halimah was born on 23 August 1954, in Singapore. Her father was Indian, and her mother was Malay. Her father passed away when she was eight years old. Her mother then raised Halimah and her four siblings.
Her family faced financial difficulties after her father's death. Halimah helped her mother sell food outside the old Singapore Polytechnic. She went to Singapore Chinese Girls' School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School. In 1978, she earned a law degree from the University of Singapore (now National University of Singapore). She became a lawyer in Singapore in 1981. Later, in 2001, she completed a Master of Laws degree at the National University of Singapore.
Career as a Trade Unionist
Halimah started working at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in 1978. This organization helps workers. She became the director of its legal services department in 1992. She took on many roles at NTUC, including helping with women's development.
From 1999 to 2011, she held senior positions like Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General. She also led the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies. Halimah was also involved with the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva. She served as a Workers' Vice-chairperson and Spokesperson for committees there.
Beginning of Political Career
In 1993, Halimah supported Ong Teng Cheong in Singapore's presidential election. Her own political journey began in 2001. She joined the People's Action Party (PAP) team for Jurong GRC. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who later became president, also started his political career in that election.
Halimah served as an MP for Bukit Batok East until 2015. Then, she represented the Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC from 2015 to 2017. During her first term, she became a Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports. Later, she became Minister of State for Social and Family Development. She also chaired the Jurong Town Council.
On 14 January 2013, Halimah was elected as the Speaker of Parliament. She was the first woman in Singapore's history to hold this position. She also led a group of lawmakers to Mexico. In 2015, she joined the PAP's top decision-making body, the Central Executive Committee.
As an MP, Halimah spoke out against extremist groups like ISIS. She said their actions were against Islamic teachings and harmful to the image of Islam. She encouraged young people to avoid extreme ideas found online. She also supported community efforts to build strength against such influences. Halimah urged Muslim parents to talk openly with their children and communities.
2017 Presidential Election
Running for President
On 6 August 2017, Halimah announced she would step down as Speaker of Parliament and MP. She wanted to run for president in the 2017 election. This election was reserved for candidates from the Malay community. Many saw her as the PAP's choice, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong supported her.
Halimah believed the reserved election showed Singapore's commitment to multiracialism. She said it proved that everyone has opportunities. She explained that all candidates, regardless of background, must meet the same strict requirements. This meant that meritocracy was not being compromised.
Campaign and Election Outcome
Halimah launched her campaign website on 25 August 2017. Her slogan was "Do Good Do Together." Some people found the slogan grammatically incorrect, but she said it was meant to be memorable. The Elections Department clarified that she did not break any rules by campaigning early.
Her campaign spent about $220,875, which was well below the legal limit. People also questioned her close ties to the PAP. Halimah responded by comparing herself to former President Ong Teng Cheong, who was also a PAP member before becoming president.
Halimah was the only candidate who met all the requirements. This meant she became the eighth President of Singapore without a contest. She is Singapore's first female President. The Economist newspaper described her as "popular and able."
Public Reactions
Halimah's resignation as an MP led to calls for a by-election in her former constituency. However, the government decided not to hold one. This led to some legal challenges.
After she was announced as president, there was a lot of discussion online. Many people used the hashtag #NotMyPresident to show their disappointment. Others used #halimahismypresident to show their support.
Halimah initially stayed in her public housing flat in Yishun. However, due to security concerns, she later moved to a more secure location.
Presidency (2017–2023)
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Halimah was sworn in as president on 14 September 2017 at The Istana. She also became the Chancellor of the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University.
As president, she made her first state visit to Brunei in May 2018. She also visited the Netherlands in November 2018. This was the first time a Singaporean president visited the Netherlands since the two countries started diplomatic relations. In September 2019, she oversaw agreements with the Philippines. These agreements helped Singaporean companies grow in areas like data protection and skills training.
Supporting Gender Equality
In 2019, Halimah spoke about the importance of gender equality. She said that companies that support equality often become more innovative and profitable. She also publicly criticized a local podcast for making offensive comments about women. She asked the hosts to apologize for their remarks.
Post-Presidency (2023–Present)
After her presidency, Halimah became the chancellor of the Singapore University of Social Sciences on 1 October 2023. She took over from Stephen Lee in this role.
On 30 August 2024, Halimah replaced Tony Tan as the chief patron of the Securities Investors Association (Singapore). The association chose her because of her long and distinguished service to Singapore. This included her career as a politician and union leader, and her role as president. The association's founder, David Gerald, said Halimah's values match their goals of protecting investors and promoting good business practices.
Personal Life
Halimah is married to Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee. He is of Arab descent. They have five children together. Mohammed met Halimah at NUS, where he studied physics.
Halimah's father was of Indian descent, and her mother was Malay. She identifies herself as a Malay Muslim. She ran as a Malay candidate in the 2017 presidential election.
Awards and Honours
Honours
Halimah has received several important honours. On 22 May 2023, the President of Kazakhstan awarded her the Order of Friendship 1st class. On 29 October 2023, she received the Order of Temasek (with high distinction). This award recognized her four decades of excellent service to Singapore.
National
Singapore
Order of Temasek with High Distinction (29 October 2023)
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Foreign
Saudi Arabia
Collar of the Order of King Abdulaziz (6 November 2019)
Kazakhstan
Order of Friendship 1st class (22 May 2023)
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Awards
Halimah has also received several awards for her contributions. These include:
- The Berita Harian Achiever of the Year Award in 2001.
- The Her World Woman of the Year Award in 2003.
- The AWARE Heroine Award in 2011.
In 2014, she was added to the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. She also received an honorary law degree from the National University of Singapore in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Halimah Yacob para niños
