Halimah Yacob
Who was Halimah Yacob?
Singapore's eighth President and the country's first female president, serving from 2017 to 2023. She previously served as Speaker of Parliament from 2013 to 2017.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Halimah Yacob (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Halimah binte Yacob, born on 23 August 1954 in Singapore, is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who was the eighth President of Singapore from 2017 to 2023. She was the first woman to hold the nation's highest office, after being Singapore's first female Speaker of Parliament from 2013 to 2017. Her public service career spans decades, stemming from her involvement with the People's Action Party and her dedication to labor rights and governance.
Halimah's parliamentary journey began in 2001 when she was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Bukit Batok East division of the Jurong Group Representation Constituency. She held that position until 2015, then represented the Marsiling division of the Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC until 2017. Her legislative efforts were informed by her legal background and her long involvement with the labor movement, advocating for workers' and women's rights in Singapore.
A constitutional amendment in 2016 reserved the 2017 presidential election for candidates from the Malay community. To run, Halimah resigned from the People's Action Party and left her parliamentary role, running as an independent as required. Her two competitors didn't meet the eligibility criteria set by the Presidential Elections Committee, leading to her being declared the winner of an uncontested election. She was sworn in as President on 14 September 2017.
During her six-year presidency, Halimah used her powers at a key moment in Singapore's history, approving emergency budget withdrawals to support the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She advocated for gender equality and women's rights, both in Singapore and internationally. She received several honors during her term, including the Order of King Abdulaziz al Saud, the Dostyk Order of Grade I from Kazakhstan, and the Order of Friendship, recognizing her active role in diplomacy.
Halimah decided not to run again in the 2023 presidential election, ending her term on 13 September 2023. She was succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam. For her contributions to Singapore and women in public life, she has been awarded the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame honor, the Darjah Utama Temasek, and was recognized as one of Asia's Most Influential figures in both 2021 and 2022.
Before Fame
Halimah Yacob grew up in Singapore after independence, during a time of rapid nation-building and social change. She went to Tanjong Katong Girls' School and Singapore Chinese Girls' School before studying law at the National University of Singapore. This education led to her career in law and labor advocacy, where she spent many years with the National Trades Union Congress before entering politics.
Her rise in Singapore's public institutions was steady and grounded in community work. Before being elected to Parliament in 2001, she gained credibility through her union work and legal practice, developing a strong focus on labor law and workers' rights that would shape much of her political career.
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman to serve as President of Singapore, holding office from 2017 to 2023
- Served as Singapore's first female Speaker of Parliament from 2013 to 2017
- Approved emergency drawdowns of past reserves to finance Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Represented Singapore in high-level bilateral diplomacy, receiving state honours from Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and Russia
- Inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2014 for her work in labour rights and public service
Did You Know?
- 01.Halimah became president through an uncontested election in 2017 after both of her rivals were disqualified by the Presidential Elections Committee for failing to meet the eligibility criteria.
- 02.The 2017 presidential election was the first reserved election under a constitutional amendment passed in 2016, which stipulated that if no Malay candidate had served as president in the preceding five terms, the election would be reserved for the Malay community.
- 03.She was required to resign from the People's Action Party and her parliamentary seat before standing for the presidency, as candidates must run as independents under Singapore's electoral rules.
- 04.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Halimah approved the drawing of past reserves — a power rarely exercised — to fund Singapore's emergency public health and economic response measures.
- 05.She was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2014, three years before she assumed the presidency, recognising her contributions as a labour leader and parliamentarian.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Women's Hall of Fame | 2014 | — |
| Darjah Utama Temasek | — | — |
| Asia's Most Influential Singapore | 2022 | — |
| Asia's Most Influential Singapore | 2021 | — |
| Order of King Abdulaziz al Saud | — | — |
| Dostyk Order of grade I | — | — |
| Order of Friendship | — | — |