Update 29 Oct 2023: Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob to be awarded highest civilian honour
Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob to be awarded highest civilian honour
Singapore's former president Halimah Yacob has been conferred with the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction), the highest civilian honour in the city-state.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a press statement on Wednesday (25 October) that the award will be presented to her by her successor, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, during the National Awards Investiture to be held at the Institute of Technical Education College Central on Sunday 29 October 2023 at ITE College Central. Halimah, who served as Singapore's eighth president and was the first female to hold the position, will lead the list of National Award recipients for 2023, said PMO in their statement.
Her term as the head of state spanned from 2017 to 2023, with her last day in office on 13 September. She had chosen not to seek re-election in the 2023 Presidential Election, which former senior minister Tharman subsequently won. Since stepping down from her presidential role, Halimah has taken on the role of chancellor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
SUSS Welcomes Former President of Singapore Madam Halimah Yacob as Chancellor
The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is pleased to announce that Mdm Halimah Yacob has been appointed Chancellor, effective 1 October 2023. Mdm Halimah takes over from Mr Stephen Lee, who has served as SUSS Chancellor since 2018.
Mdm Halimah Yacob has had an illustrious career, starting in 1978 as a legal officer with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), before rising through the ranks to become the Executive Secretary of the United Workers of Electronics, Director of the Women’s Development Secretariat and eventually, NTUC Deputy Secretary-General. In 1999, she became the first Singaporean elected into the Geneva-based International Labour Organisation (ILO), where she served for four terms, representing workers across many ILO committees. Mdm Halimah was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in 2001 and served her final and fourth term as an MP in the Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.
In 2011, she was appointed Minister of State for Community Development and Sports. She introduced various programmes for seniors and enhanced services for people with disabilities, including laying the foundation for the Social Services Offices. A leader of many firsts, Mdm Halimah was elected as the ninth Speaker of Parliament in 2013, the first woman to hold the position. She was the first female to become President of the Republic of Singapore, when she was sworn in on 14 September 2017 for a 6-year term.
Former president Halimah Yacob named as new SUSS chancellor
Madam Halimah Yacob will take over from Mr Stephen Lee as SUSS chancellor from Oct 1. PHOTO: MCI
The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) announced on Monday the appointment of former president Halimah Yacob as its new chancellor, from Oct 1. She takes over from Mr Stephen Lee, who has held the position since 2018.
“I am honoured to be appointed as the new chancellor of SUSS,” said Madam Halimah.
“This university has a unique place in Singapore, with its mission to inspire learning for life... I look forward to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure SUSS’ continued success in impacting society through applied social sciences.”
A leader of several firsts, Madam Halimah was elected as the ninth Speaker of Parliament in 2013 – the first woman to hold the position. She was also the country’s first female president and served a six-year term between 2017 and 2023. She was succeeded by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Singapore's 8th and first female President
Outgoing President Halimah Yacob marked the end of her term as Singapore’s eighth President on Wednesday (Sep 13) with a farewell reception at the Istana.
The 69-year-old former Member of Parliament is Singapore’s first female President. She left office on Wednesday after bidding goodbye to Istana staff members and other government officials. In her final remarks as head of state after a six-year term, Mdm Halimah said it was her privilege to be the voice of Singaporeans and that she was "most grateful" for the chance to empower other women.
Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was elected President on Sep 1 with 70.4 per cent vote share, will be sworn in at the Istana on Thursday.
Halimah Yacob to be renominated as Speaker of Parliament
Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
The new Parliament, which convenes on Jan 15, will witness several firsts, but its Speaker is expected to be a familiar face.
Madam Halimah Yacob, who became the first female Speaker when she assumed the role in January 2013, will be renominated by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the first sitting of Singapore's 13th Parliament since independence in 1965.
What exactly does the Speaker of Parliament do? Here's a look at how the Speaker is elected, the responsibilities that come with the job and some notable names who have sat in the all-important chair.
Singapore Women's Hall of Fame: Halimah Yacob
First Woman President of Singapore
Halimah Yacob is a trail blazer. In 2013 she became the first woman to be Speaker of the Singapore Parliament. Four years later, in September 2017, she became Singapore’s first woman President. In 2001, she was the first Malay woman to be elected to Singapore’s Parliament when she won a seat in Jurong GRC.
As a working mother and with experience in the labour union, Halimah has championed the interests of women and workers. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said she spoke “with a practical, compassionate voice, helping us to shape effective policies with a human touch”. She is the longest serving female Muslim politician in the ruling People’s Action Party. Halimah comes from a humble background, studying law at the University of Singapore on a MUIS scholarship. She graduated in 1978 with an honours degree and was called to the bar in 1981. In 2001, she attained her Masters in law from NUS. On graduation, she joined the National Trades Union Congress and was variously director of the women’s development secretariat and of its legal services before becoming NTUC deputy secretary-general. She was the first Singaporean to be elected to the governing body of the International Labor Organisation.
Halimah has served on various boards including the Housing and Development Board, Tripartite Alliance on Fair Employment Practices, Tripartite Workgroup on Enhancing Employment Choices for Women and Mendaki Sense. On 23 January, 2013, the National Council of Social Services named her its first adviser to tap into her “extensive and deep understanding of ground concerns, together with her practical ways”. Before becoming Speaker, Halimah served as minister of state in the Ministry of Social and Family Development. She is on PAP’s central executive committee.
Halimah Yacob: 8th President of the Republic of Singapore
A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bukit Batok East division of Jurong GRC between 2001 and 2015, and the Marsiling division of Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC between 2015 and 2017. After a constitutional amendment made in 2017, the 2017 presidential election was specifically reserved for candidates from the Malay community. Halimah resigned from the PAP and became an independent—one of the qualifications needed to run for the presidency—and ran for the 2017 presidential election which she won in an uncontested election, after the other presidential hopefuls except for her did not meet the qualifications. She is one of the living former president of Singapore.
During her presidency, Halimah exercised presidential discretionary powers to approve emergency funding for Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also spoke in support of women's rights. She did not seek for a re-election in the 2023 presidential election. Her term ended & had officially retired on 13 September 2023. She was succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam on the following day.
Halimah Yacob
Halimah was born on 23 August 1954 at her family home on Queen Street in Singapore, to an Indian 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 outside the former Singapore Polytechnic (now Bestway Building) along Prince Edward Road.
She attended Singapore Chinese Girls' School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School before graduating from the University of Singapore (now National University of Singapore) in 1978 with a Bachelor of Laws degree and was called to the Singapore Bar in 1981. She subsequently went on to complete a Master of Laws degree at the National University of Singapore in 2001.
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