President Halimah Named 33rd World’s Most Influential Muslim, 3 Other S’poreans Make The List

World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims 2023 Ranks President Halimah 33rd

President Halimah Yacob made history when she became Singapore’s very first female President.

But her influence extends far beyond that, making her the 33rd most influential Muslim in the World in 2023, according to The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.

This is Madam Halimah’s highest ranking yet. In 2022 and 2021, she was ranked 36th and 37th, respectively.

President Halimah named 33rd most influential Muslim

In the recently published World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims 2023, President Halimah was ranked 33rd. She is one of the three females in the top 50 list.

This is her highest ranking to date, having ranked 36th in 2022, 37th in 2021, and 38th in 2020.

The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre noted that Madam Halimah was Singapore’s first female President. Before that, she was the former speaker of Parliament, the first female to do so.

But long before that, Madam Halimah came from humble beginnings, raised by her Malay mother after her Indian father passed when she was eight.

Despite the challenges, she was successful at school and obtained her law degree and master’s in law from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

She then became the Director of the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies.

Madam Halimah entered politics in 2001 and rose in the ranks. Since becoming President, she has promoted initiatives to strengthen interfaith relations and support Singapore’s cohesive society.

She was also noted to have a “strong international profile”, regularly meeting with world leaders.

She has also advocated for companies to embrace gender equality, speaking at the Women’s Forum Asia.

Besides that, Madam Halimah had also publicly condemned local media for offensive remarks against women.

Three other Singaporeans make the list

Madam Halimah is the only Singaporean who made it to the top 50 list.

Also on the World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims list were three other Singaporeans — Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Syed Hassan Al-Attas, and Mohamed Faizal Mohamed Abdul Kadir.

Mr Zainul is Singapore’s ambassador to Kuwait and the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Middle East.

He was picked for his activities focusing on Singapore’s diplomatic relations with the Muslim World.

Mr Zainul also shared Singapore’s expertise in inter-cultural and inter-religious relations with nations with substantial Muslim populations.

Mr Syed Hassan, affectionately known as Habib Hassan, was recognised as a “pillar of strength and unity” in building religious harmony in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre said he had brought Islam together with other religions in Singapore.

Last year, he was appointed to the Presidential Council for Minority Rights (PCMR) for being a strong advocate for interfaith dialogue, reported The Straits Times (ST).

Lawyer Mr Mohamed Faizal made it to the list as a passionate champion of educational initiatives.

He had conceived of scholarship programmes specifically targeting lower-income students.

Mr Mohamed Faizal is a previous recipient of the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Award.

He is also a jurist on the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) Appeal Board and the only Muslim Senior Counsel in Singapore.

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Featured image adapted from Halimah Yacob on Facebook.