Halimah Yacob

Halimah Yacob, born on August twenty-third, nineteen fifty-four, is a distinguished Singaporean politician and lawyer who made history as the eighth president of Singapore from two thousand seventeen to two thousand twenty-three. Her election marked a significant milestone as she became the first woman to hold this prestigious office, having been elected uncontested in the two thousand seventeen presidential election.

Before her presidency, Halimah was an active member of the People's Action Party (PAP) and served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bukit Batok East division of the Jurong Group Representation Constituency from two thousand one to two thousand fifteen. She then represented the Marsiling division of the Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC from two thousand fifteen until her presidential candidacy in two thousand seventeen. Notably, she was Singapore's first female speaker of parliament, a role she fulfilled from two thousand thirteen to two thousand seventeen.

In response to a constitutional amendment in two thousand sixteen, which reserved the presidential election for candidates from the Malay community, Halimah resigned from the PAP and her MP position. She ran as an independent candidate, a requirement for eligibility, and won the election uncontested as her opponents did not meet the necessary qualifications. She was sworn in as president on September fourteenth, two thousand seventeen.

During her tenure, Halimah utilized her discretionary powers to approve emergency funding to support Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and was a strong advocate for women's rights. She chose not to seek re-election in the two thousand twenty-three presidential election, concluding her term on September thirteenth, after which she was succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam.