With additional reporting by Avelyn Ng
Singapore elected its first female President on 13 September 2017. Former Speaker of Parliament and veteran unionist Halimah Yacob will be the eighth President of Singap
Mdm Halimah, 63, was sworn-in at the Istana on 14 September 2017.
“My central message will be to focus on the core values that are of immense importance to Singapore and which has brought us from where we were previously in 1965 to where we are today like multiracialism and meritocracy. These are dear to me,” said Mdm Halimah.
Nomination Day
Mdm Halimah arrived at the People’s Association nomination centre together with her election team and family members just after 11am to file her nomination papers.
She was the only candidate certified eligible to run for the 2017 Presidential Election which was reserved for candidates from the Malay community.
Two other Malay candidates who submitted their papers to the Presidential Elections Committee did not receive the Certificate of Eligibility to contest.
Mdm Halimah’s nomination paper had a proposer, seconder and eight assentors. Two of the assentors were from the Labour Movement - NTUC President Mary Liew and Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers General Secretary G Muthukumarasamy.
A Call to Work Together
Addressing her supporters outside the nomination centre, Mdm Halimah urged everyone to do good, do it together, and focus on the priorities facing Singapore in the future.
“I am deeply heartened by the tremendous support of Singaporeans. I have been walking the ground for more than two weeks engaging different groups of people, and I feel very energised by the support and encouragement given to me. Although this is a reserved election, I am not a reserved president. I am [a] president for everyone, young, old, people of different races and creed, everyone is important,” she said.
Labour Movement Support
More than 600 unionists braved the blazing sun to listen to her address. Other supporters included grassroots representatives and Singaporeans from all walks of life.
In her 33 years with the Labour Movement, Mdm Halimah held various positions such as deputy secretary-general, director of the Women’s Development Secretariat (now known as Women and Family Unit), director of the NTUC Legal Services Department, and executive secretary of the United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries (UWEEI).
Veteran unionist from UWEEI, Cyrille Tan, said: “Mdm Halimah was my executive secretary previously, and now she has esteemed to the highest office in the country. She will make a very good peoples’ president. She has always put other people first, and this is one of her top qualities. I look forward to seeing her serve the people of Singapore.”
Also sharing his views was Singapore Industrial & Services Employees' Union (SISEU) General Secretary Philip Lee who turned up with some 30 other SISEU unionists.
He said: “SISEU is here to support her. She has been with the Labour Movement for such a long time. She is one of us and we are proud of that. All of us union leaders miss her since she left but she is still in touch with the ground, and that is an important quality of a president.”
