The term of Singapore’s eighth president, Madam Halimah Yacob, is coming to an end in less than three months’ time.
Sworn in on 14 Sep 2017, she has seen the country through its ups and downs as the President of the Republic of Singapore over the past six years.
As her term draws to a close on 13 Sep, she has also shared that she has no intention to run for office again.
In light of Madam Halimah’s last lap as President, here are her six most notable accomplishments during her time in office.
Getting the most obvious one out of the way, Madam Halimah is the first-ever woman to become the President of Singapore.
Source: Halimah Yacob on Facebook
Previously, she was also our first female Speaker of Parliament, from 2013 to 2017.
Because of this feat, she placed 33rd on the list of the World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims 2023.
This was the highest she had ranked on the list. She was 36th in 2022, 37th in 2021, and 38th in 2020.
Following Singapore’s independence on 9 Aug 1965, the Netherlands was one of the first few countries to recognise the Little Red Dot as its own sovereign nation.
Our diplomatic and trading ties with the European nation have hence been strong ever since.
So, you might be surprised to find out that Madam Halimah was the first President of Singapore to visit the Netherlands on an official state visit in 2018.
Source: Albert Nieboer via The Royal House of the Netherlands
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands had invited her over for a state visit which took place from 21 to 23 Nov 2018.
On this trip, she was accompanied by her husband, Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, then-Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Mr Masagos Zulkifli, and other Government officials.
During her term as President, and even before, Madam Halimah was an outspoken supporter of gender equality and women’s rights.
Using the unique platform she was given, she often urged companies and employers to treat women as assets.
She encouraged women to take up leadership roles, and companies to embrace diversity and inclusivity across all levels.
She also never shied away from speaking up about issues that caused unrest in society.
In 2018, Madam Halimah called out the popular Malay podcast OKLETSGO for “misogynistic” and “lewd” comments about women, and for perpetuating unhealthy narratives.
As a result, the hosts of the podcast quickly apologised for their statements — a mere four hours after Madam Halimah’s message.
Last year, President Halimah Yacob called for a review of the law that allows male offenders over 50 to avoid caning.
This came after a shocking case where a man in Singapore raped his young stepdaughter repeatedly over six years.
He was sentenced to 28 years’ jail. However, the court spared the man from caning as he was over 50 at the time of his sentencing.
Noting the rise in such cases, Madam Halimah said that it is time to review the law for sexual offenders.
She said that rapists should not be able to avoid the cane just because of their age.
She added, “It’s our duty to protect our young and we must not fail them.”
As a champion of the Muslim community in Singapore, she understands the importance of learning from one another’s faiths.
With the power and respect she has from her time in politics and her role as president, she is in a place to push for more dialogue between religions and cultures. And that was exactly what she did.
In 2018, Madam Halimah had the idea for a forum that gathered various religious leaders from all over the world à la the Shangri-La Dialogue, reported The Straits Times (ST).
This unprecedented convention ultimately came true, as the International Conference on Cohesive Societies. The inaugural event was held in June 2019.
Source: Kenji Soon via Halimah Yacob on Facebook
Around 1,000 delegates from about 40 countries attended the first event surrounding faith, identity, and cohesion.
Attendees included academics, government officials, and members of religious and civil society groups.
As the second key holder to Singapore’s national coffers, President Halimah Yacob played a crucial role in the swift financial aid Singaporeans received during the Covid- 19 pandemic.
In a Facebook post back then, she revealed that she assented to the Supply Bill for FY2022 on 23 Mar 2022.
Source: Liu Ying via Halimah Yacob on Facebook
This included the draw of S$6 billion from past reserves to fund the multi-pronged approach the Government took to support Covid-19 public health expenditure.
Additionally, on a more personal level, she is also a supporter of home bakers trying to make ends meet during the pandemic.
She gave her stamp of approval when she said she is a fan of home-based pastry makers.
She shared that she would buy her Hari Raya goodies from them yearly, noting that they are mostly female-run.
“Although they bake throughout the year, it is during Ramadan that they can earn the most to pay for their own Hari Raya expenses and keep some for other needs,” she explained.
Hence, it’s safe to say that Madam Halimah has had an eventful six years.
She has done much from supporting women’s rights to exercising her executive powers as the guardian of Singapore’s reserves.
With all that President Halimah Yacob has done for Singapore, we hope she gets the rest she so deserves when her tenure wraps.
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Featured image adapted from Ministry of Defence.
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