Halimah Yacob hopes to continue living in Yishun HDB flat if elected

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Residents of Marsiling are sad to see their MP Halimah Yacob go as she officially announced her bid to run for President. Madam Halimah, who is also Speaker of Parliament, will resign from her posts on Aug 7.

Madam Halimah Yacob, 62, hopes to continue living in her five-room Housing Board flat even if she is elected president.

The Speaker of Parliament, who last night announced that she will run in the upcoming presidential election, said she is very comfortable in her flat in Yishun, where she has lived for more than 30 years.

She said: "I don't see why I can't continue, unless of course there are other considerations like security, for instance. Because I know it can be quite a nightmare to ensure security in public housing."

Madam Halimah's husband, businessman Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee, 62, accompanied her to the National Day dinner in her constituency yesterday.

He told reporters: "She is very capable, she works very hard and she is very experienced representing Singapore in various unions, so I think she is the right person."

As for the advice he gave her, he replied: "The advice is, of course, carry on, go ahead."

He added that they would have to discuss issues like family and housing matters.

Madam Halimah's decision to contest the elected presidency follows a busy few weeks where she has met unionists, community leaders and residents, typically attending at least one event a day.

When asked what groups she will turn to for support, the Marsiling- Yew Tee GRC MP said she has had the chance to talk to many groups.

She identified the unions as the most important group, saying: "Because I spent 33 years of my life in the labour movement. They are my backbone, and I have gone to almost all the unions to ask for support personally, and they have said that they will support me."

She said she has also spoken to other groups, including Malay/Muslim organisations, women's groups and several clan associations.

But the most important thing, she added, is that she hopes to represent all Singaporeans and not just any segments or any groups.

"It is important that I represent all Singaporeans, and so I do hope that all Singaporeans will support me," she said.

Tham Yuen-C

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 07, 2017, with the headline Halimah Yacob hopes to continue living in Yishun HDB flat if elected. Subscribe