In full: Mdm Halimah Yacob's statement on her candidacy for President

After considering for weeks, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob confirmed on Sunday (Aug 6) that she will run in next month's Presidential Election. She will be resigning from her posts as Speaker and Member of Parliament on Monday. Her campaign team released this official statement and biography shortly after her announcement:

HALIMAH YACOB TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

Mdm Halimah Yacob will stand as a candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election.

“I have decided to offer myself as a candidate for the Elected Presidency. Though I will miss my residents, my constituency work and my role as Speaker in running for the Office of the Elected President, my passion to serve all Singaporeans remains unabated. It is a heavy responsibility but I hope that with the support of Singaporeans, we can do more good together,” said Mdm Halimah at the Marsiling National Day Dinner on 6 August 2017.

Mdm Halimah revealed that she has received much encouragement from Singaporeans from all walks of life who have asked her to stand for election. “I am deeply humbled and honoured that Singaporeans have asked me to consider running for the Elected Presidency.”

She added that she will resign from her position as Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and as a member of the People’s Action Party. Mdm Halimah said, “Singaporeans have been very kind and understanding, and I want to thank everyone for their well wishes.”

Responding to queries on her decision to stand as a candidate for the reserved Presidential Election, Mdm Halimah added, “It was a tough decision to make and I have done extensive consultations with my family, my colleagues and my close friends over the past two weeks to consider this. It is a decision that I cannot take lightly and I had to take into consideration my current responsibilities and what will become of them.”

Mdm Halimah said more information on her campaign will be released in due course. - Issued by Halimah Yacob and Team, 6 August 2017

ABOUT HALIMAH YACOB

Halimah Yacob was born on 23 August 1954, the youngest of five children. Her father passed away when she was eight years old. It was a difficult childhood and even at a young age, she was assisting her mother at the food stall where her mother was helping out.

She studied at the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School and Tanjong Katong Girls’ School and graduated from the University of Singapore with a Law Degree, and subsequently completed her Master of Laws at the National University of Singapore. She began her career in the labour movement at the National Trade Unions Congress (NTUC) and represented Singapore at the International Labour Organisation. She rose to become a Deputy Secretary-General at NTUC.

Elected as a Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC in 2001, she was subsequently promoted as Minister of State for the then-Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in 2011. In 2013, she was elected as the first female Speaker of Parliament. She was elected to a fourth term as an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC during the 2015 General Election.

Her activism in social issues such as her work with labour union, women’s rights, senior citizens and people with mental health issues ensured that their voices were heard. She is very active in engaging and empowering the Malay community too. She serves as a Patron or Adviser to not only labour unions but also several associations including Club HEAL, Casa Raudha, Persatuan Ain and PPIS (Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura).