Halimah Yacob facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Halimah Yacob
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حليمة بنت يعقوب
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| 8th President of Singapore | |
| Assumed office 14 September 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong |
| Preceded by | Tony Tan Keng Yam |
| Speaker of Parliament | |
| In office 14 January 2013 – 7 August 2017 |
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| Deputy | Charles Chong Lim Biow Chuan |
| Preceded by | Michael Palmer |
| Succeeded by | Tan Chuan-Jin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 August 1954 Singapore |
| Political party | People's Action Party (2001–2017) Independent (2017–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | National University of Singapore (LLB, LLM) |
Halimah binti Yacob (Jawi: حاليمه بنت ياچوب; born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician She is the 8th President of Singapore since September 2017.
Yacob was a member of the country's governing People's Action Party (PAP), she was the ninth Speaker of Parliament, from January 2013 to August 2017. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Jurong Group Representation Constituency between 2001 and 2015, and Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency between 2015 and 2017. On 7 August 2017, she resigned from her positions as Speaker and MP, and from her membership in the PAP, to stand as a candidate for the 2017 Singapore presidential election.
In the 2017 presidential election, Yacob was the only candidate, thus winning the election.
President Halimah started off her statement by reminding people that COVID-19, is a huge threat, and that contamination is picking up rapidly in other parts of Asia. The number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore had been on the rise and imported cases will continue to be a concern.
Early life
Halimah is an Indian Muslim as her father is also an Indian Muslim. She has Malay blood. Her father was a guard. He died of a heart attack when she was eight. So she and her four siblings grew up with their mother. Her family was poor. She helped her mother sell nasi padang outside the Singapore Polytechnic (now Bestway Building) along Prince Edward Road.
Halimah went to Singapore Chinese Girls' School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School. She then went to the University of Singapore and got a Bachelor of Laws in 1978. In 1981, she went to the Singapore Bar. In 2001, she completed an Master of Laws at the National University of Singapore (NUS). She got an honorary Doctor of Laws by NUS on 7 July 2016.
