Halimah Yacob

Who is Halimah Yacob?

Halimah binte Yacob is a Malay politician from Singapore. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party, she is currently the ninth Speaker of Parliament, having assumed office on 14 January 2013. She is the first woman to hold this post in the Republic's history. She is the third consecutive Speaker belonging to a minority race, after Abdullah Tarmugi and Michael Palmer. She also served as Minister of State at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports from 2011 to 2013. She has been a Member of Parliament representing the Jurong Group Representation Constituency since 2001.