Singapore’s former Speaker of the Parliament Halimah Yacob (Photo: New Straits Times/VNA) Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s former Speaker of the Parliament Halimah Yacob on August 30 officially submitted her application for candidacy in the presidential election scheduled to take place in early September.
Yacob became the third person, together with Salleh Marican, Chief Executive of Second Chance Properties and Farid Khan, Chairman of Bourbon Offshore Asia, declared their intentions to run in the 8th presidential election.
She has unveiled her campaign slogan and named her key campaign members, including Sheng Siong supermarket chain’s chief executive Lim Hock Chee, Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Chia Yong Yong, former NMP Mary Liew and Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs Simon Tay.
On August 7, Yacob resigned as Speaker of the Parliament and left the People’s Action Party (PAP) to meet criteria for the election. She said the president position elected by people would offer her better opportunities to serve Singapore and its people.
According to a writ of election issued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on August 28, the Elections Department will review all potential candidates and announce its decision by September 12. If there is only one eligible candidate, he or she will be announced as President in the Nomination Day on September 13. If more than one candidate stands nominated on the Nomination Day, the election will be held on September 23.
Accordingly, the post will be reserved for candidates from a particular ethnic group if no one from that group has been president for five straight six-year terms. The winning candidate will be the second Malay president in Singapore’s history and the first to be chosen in a presidential election reserved for candidates of a particular ethnic group under a constitutional amendment in last November.-VNA
