Halimah Yacob to be the First Female President of Singapore

For the first time in the history, Singapore is all set to have a female president. Madam Halimah Yacob has been elected as the eighth president of the country. Madam Halimah will also be the first Malay president of the country in 47 years.

She was chosen over two other presidential hopefuls, Mohamed Salleh Marican and Farid Khan. This is not the first time that Yacob has broken barriers and held a position of power. She was also the first female speaker of Parliament in 2013.

Here is how you can learn more about her

• Yacob's father worked as a watchman, but she was very young when he died. She has four elder siblings. Her mother toiled day and night to fend for the family by working as a food stall late at night. Halimah Yacob started assisting her on a daily basis. The school reprimanded her for missing classes for the same.

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• Later, she went to Tanjong Katong Girls’ School and graduated from the University of Singapore with a degree in Law. She also has a Masters of Law from the National University of Singapore.

Halimah Yacob wants to act as a unifying force in the country.

• She started working in 1978 with the National Trades Union Congress. She worked here for 30 years, following which she became the labour movement's Deputy Secretary-general.

• In 2001, the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong persuaded her to join politics. She was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

• In 2011, she became the Minister of State for the then-Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

• She has played an active role in advocating for the rights of women and senior citizens and in creating awareness around mental health issues.

• Mother of five children, Halimah was a bit sceptical to become the President. However, it was her husband, Mohamed Abdullah, who backed her in this decision.

SheThePeople.TV congratulates Halimah Yacob for taking over the Presidency of Singapore. Her selection ignites a ray of hope that slowly and gradually, people have started hailing women as good leaders.

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