SINGAPORE - The mother of People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Halimah Yacob died on the morning of Polling Day.

Madam Maimun Abdullah, 90, had been in the hospital for the past week.

"This is the saddest moment of my life. My mother was largely responsible for making me who I am today," said Madam Halimah, 61, who is co-leading a four-man team alongside Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong in the new Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

Over the nine-day campaign period, she visited her mother late at night after doing her rounds.

In a message, Madam Halimah said that her mother had been a great influence. "She never believed in giving up and was always concerned about the welfare of others. Despite the many blows life handed to her, she never complained. Right to the end, she remained stoic and strong, not once complaining of pain or discomfort."

Prayers for the late Madam Maimun were held at Darul Makmur Mosque on Friday (Sept 11) afternoon. Among the congregants were Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, PAP candidate Zainal Sapari and former senior minister of state Zainul Abidin Rasheed. Madam Halimah's PAP colleagues, including Mr Wong and her former Jurong GRC running-mate, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, visited her flat to pay their respects.

Madam Halimah, whose team is going up against the Singapore Democratic Party in this general election, said: "I was hoping that she could at least pull through today but it's not to be."