Halimah binti Yacob (born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer who held the office of the eighth president of Singapore from 2017 to 2023, making history as the first woman to serve in this role.

During her presidency, Halimah utilised her discretionary powers to approve emergency funding for Singapore's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and advocated for women's rights.

Halimah was born on 23 August 1954 at her family home on Queen Street in Singapore during British colonial rule,[2] to an Indian father and Malay mother.

[5][6][7] Her family was in poverty at the time of her father's death, and she helped her mother to sell nasi padang outside the former Singapore Polytechnic (now Bestway Building) along Prince Edward Road.

[17] Her first political candidacy began in the 2001 general election, where she joined a five-member People's Action Party (PAP) team running for Jurong GRC, led by Minister Lim Boon Heng.

[26] In a strong response to ISIS-linked beliefs, Singapore detained 26 members of a foreign jihadist cell involved in extremist teachings and intervened in several cases of self-radicalised Singaporeans attempting to join ISIS in Syria in 2015.

[27] During her time as an MP, Halimah condemned ISIS's acts as un-Islamic and harmful to the image of Islam, stressing that countering its ideology is more essential than military action.

[28] She urges young people to resist extremism online and supports community gatherings to build resilience, highlighting the shared responsibility to prevent self-radicalisation.

[30] While speaking during the debate on the Presidential Elections Amendment Bill on 6 February 2017, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing addressed Halimah as "Madam President" twice instead of "Madam Speaker", drawing laughter from the house[31][32] and leading to widespread speculation that Halimah would be the party's preferred candidate for the reserved presidential elections.

[33][34] To contest for the elected presidency, which was reserved for Malay candidates,[35] Halimah announced on 6 August 2017 that she would step down as speaker of parliament and MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee the following day.

[39] In an interview on 11 August 2017, Halimah expressed her support for the reserved presidential election, saying it demonstrated Singapore's commitment to multiracialism alongside meritocracy.

[43] Queries were also raised regarding Halimah's long affiliation with the PAP and perceived lack of political independence as she quit the party just one month ago to campaign in the election.

[50] After Halimah Yacob's resignation as the sole minority MP in Singapore's Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC, opposition parties and residents called for a by-election, which the ruling PAP government declined to hold.

[51] In response, resident Wong Souk Yee, with the support of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), filed a lawsuit in the High Court, arguing that the Parliamentary Elections Act requires a by-election to be held when a vacancy occurs in a GRC.

She underscored the need for protections for older workers and advocated for legal reforms to ensure justice for sexual assault victims, arguing that age should not exempt offenders from punishment.

Through her work under the President's Challenge, she also focused on empowering disadvantaged groups and promoting religious harmony and multicultural dialogue alongside gender equality.

[81] In 2019, Halimah advocated for companies to embrace gender equality, noting that it will increase innovation and business profitability during her speech at the Women's Forum Asia.

Eight new inductees were recognised during the event, which highlighted their remarkable accomplishments and experiences and reaffirmed the importance of female role models in motivating the next generation to create a more just society.

[86] In April 2020, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Halimah approved her in-principle for the government's request to draw S$21 billion from the past national reserves, aimed at subsidising wages of 1.9 million workers and preserving jobs and businesses.

[88] On 5 June 2020, the Parliament of Singapore passed the Second Supplementary Supply Bill for the Fortitude Budget, to allow for the government to draw an additional of S$31 billion from the past reserves, aimed at securing employment for those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic as the country loosens restrictions after the circuit breaker.

She was chosen for this esteemed position by the association because of her outstanding services to Singapore, which include her influential career as a politician and unionist and her representation of the country abroad throughout her 2023-ending president.

According to David Gerald, the association's founder, Halimah's values complement the organization's objectives of defending individual investors' rights and encouraging moral business practices.