[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/lets-talk-about-the-president\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/lets-talk-about-the-president\/","headline":"Let\u2019s Talk About the President","name":"Let\u2019s Talk About the President","description":"In 2017, Singapore\u2019s first woman president was elected. This is none other than President Halimah, who\u2019s currently serving her term as the 8th President of the Republic of Singapore. She\u2019s a force to be reckoned with; in fact, she has recently ranked 37th on the list of the 500 most influential Muslims! Halimah Yacob\/Facebook Compiled […]","datePublished":"2020-11-03","dateModified":"2022-04-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/e-lyn-tham\/#Person","name":"E-lyn Tham","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/e-lyn-tham\/","identifier":66,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/722f685b02ed9cd4b78c8df212ebc1654b73489382b53ce430214c5fa92c0d0c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/722f685b02ed9cd4b78c8df212ebc1654b73489382b53ce430214c5fa92c0d0c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1604068367423_news_president-halimah_featured.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1604068367423_news_president-halimah_featured.jpg","height":1600,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/lets-talk-about-the-president\/","about":["Community","Local","Politics","Singapore"],"wordCount":715,"articleBody":"In 2017, Singapore\u2019s first woman president was elected. This is none other than President Halimah, who\u2019s currently serving her term as the 8th President of the Republic of Singapore. She\u2019s a force to be reckoned with; in fact, she has recently ranked 37th on the list of the 500 most influential Muslims!Halimah Yacob\/FacebookCompiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan, the annual list ranks Muslims based on how they\u2019ve positively impacted a community. President Halimah was first included in the list in 2018, rising from the 45th spot to the 41st spot in the next.\u00a0Big steps forwardSingapore has long been known as a multiracial country, a safe place where different races can harmoniously coexist. Such an ideal is furiously championed by President Halimah, who declared that \u201cdiscrimination of any form and against anyone has no place at all in our society and, most certainly, not at the workplace\u201d.\u00a0The post was directed towards employers, in the wake of an incident where a sales promoter was asked to remove her hijab in order to work at Tangs. This naturally caused outrage among many, as such an act was seen to be one of racial discrimination. President\u2019s Halimah steadfast stand on the issue had immediate results \u2013 Tangs went on to standardise the practice of allowing religious headgear across all their outlets! She goes on to recognise how \u201cdiversity is our strength\u201d, lending her voice to ensure equality for all.What else has she done for Singapore?It seems as if President Halimah isn\u2019t afraid to speak up and let her voice be heard, no matter the subject. With freedom of speech readily available nowadays, it\u2019s easy for public presenters to rattle on without any thought of consequence. For example, online local podcast, OkLetsGo made a couple of misogynistic comments in a casual manner, on top of sexually objectifying women in some of their episodes.This was promptly called out by President Halimah, who called on the three hosts to \u201csincerely and humbly apologise to all women for their offensive, humiliating and misogynistic remarks\u2026 It\u2019s not ok to treat women like dirtbags and punching bags\u201d. In the same post, she celebrated women in Singapore, recognising their importance in \u201cbuilding healthy communities which will be undermined by such podcasts\u201d.This subsequently led to an apology by OkLetsGo, which came just hours after President Halimah\u2019s post. This is my favourite part of her post:\u201cWomen are not objects to be made fun of, ridiculed and trampled upon, and no one has the right to do that to them. Women have the right to be respected, valued for their contributions in the family in our society.”You go, President Halimah! Thank you for speaking up for us.Halimah Yacob\/FacebookWalking the groundPresident Halimah is also a fervent advocate of mental health. She has spent a significant amount of time being devoted to various social causes, and has served as the chief patron to Club HEAL \u2013 an institution dedicated to \u201chelping people with mental illness and their family members lead a fulfilling and stigma-free life\u201d \u2013 for several years.\u00a0Halimah Yacob\/FacebookIn addition, a quick look on her Facebook page revealed many occasions where she personally went down to interact with citizens, such as joining retirees for their exercise sessions, joining in team-building activities at Job Club, or decorating lanterns with students.\u201cSecuring our future in a different world\u201dChanges are inevitable \u2013 the crux lies in whether a country can adapt accordingly. President Halimah has acknowledged how imperative it is for Singapore to relate and evolve, placing emphasis on job security, ensuring equality, strengthening the Singaporean identity, as well as forming a united political front.\u00a0Halimah Yacob\/FacebookShe also exerts effort in maintaining strong bilateral ties with other countries, such as Thailand and Austria.\u00a0Indeed, every president leaves an impact on Singapore, and it seems as if President Halimah has gone above and beyond to ensure the progress and wellbeing of all Singaporeans. We salute you, Madam President!(Note: The abovementioned is by no means exhaustive, and simply comprises a summary of our favourite things done by President Halimah.) Join the conversations on THG’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Let\u2019s Talk About the President","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/lets-talk-about-the-president\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]