Halimah Yacob Dedicates 33 Years for Labor Movement in Singapore
13 September 2017 18:14 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Halimah Yacob has become Singapore`s first female president. She was sworn into office today, September 13.
Halimah, 63, former speaker of Singapore's Parliament, spent 33 years of her life supporting labor issues at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). NTUC president Mary Liew and veteran labor union member G. Muthukumarasamy were among the key people in her campaign for the presidency.
Read: Halimah Yacob Officially Elected Singapore First Woman President
Halimah joined the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in 1978 as a legal officer. Until 2011, she remained involved in labor movements, holding important positions until she was eventually appointed deputy secretary-general.
Her 33-year span in labor movements acquired her a persona as a fighter for workers' rights. In 2001, she entered politics as a parliament member from the Malay ethnicity; the first female since Malaysia's independence.
In 2013, she was appointed Singapore's first female Speaker of Parliament.
Halimah Yacob's run for the presidency in the 2017 elections received full support from labor unions and high-ranking NTUC members. The NTUC pledges to maintain their support and stay at "Sister Halimah's" side.
DWI NUR SANTI