Halimah’s journey

PHOTOS: THE STRAITS TIMES, LIANHE ZAOBAO, BERITA HARIAN, BUSINESS TIMES STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS

Madam Halimah Yacob is set to be Singapore’s �rst female president. Here is a timeline of her career

Aug

28 1962

Born in her family home in Queen Street, the youngest of five children.

Her father dies. As a child, she helps her mother, who sells nasi padang from a pushcart plying Shenton Way before getting a hawker stall licence.

Aug

28

Attends Singapore Chinese Girls’ School; one of the few Malay pupils there.

1960s

Aug

28 1970s

Goes to Tanjong Katong Girls’ School and the University of Singapore where she graduates with a law degree.

Aug

28

Marries her university sweetheart Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, a businessman. They have five children.

Aug

28 1978

Joins the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) as a legal officer. She spends more than 30 years there, eventually becoming deputy secretary-general.

Aug

28Aug

28

Becomes Minister of State at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Aug

28

Appointed Singapore’s first female Speaker of Parliament.

Aug 23 Late

1980June

2001 2011 20131954

Enters politics at the urging of then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, and goes on to contest and win in four general elections. She was most recently an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.