BY
Kristel Tan  

The UrbanWire Editor

Hype Issue #59

Published on

July 12, 2024

On September 14, 2017, Mdm Halimah Yacob made history by becoming the first female President of Singapore. Her journey to the highest office in the land was not easy, having been brought up in a very humble family. What does it take to get to where she is now? A whole lot of resilience, determination, and commitment to service. Here are some takeaways from her inspiring story.

Mdm Halimah listening to questions asked by the audience during the Jauhari Series talk. Photo by Kristel Tan.

Speaking Up for What’s Right

Throughout her career, Mdm Halimah has never been afraid to speak up for the less fortunate. To name a few examples, she used her platform to give support to home-based businesses during COVID, raised awareness of worker’s interests, and advocated for protecting children from sexual predators. Many have wondered where her courage and confidence to speak up came from. 

When Mdm Halimah was a teenager, the flat she lived in had a bridge connecting two blocks together. On that bridge were some stone chairs and tables for residents.

“A bunch of hooligans and teenagers came every night at 2 or 3am to drink, laugh, and gamble. It was terrible and noisy,” she recounted.

“I was only just a 15-year-old, and I was so skinny and scrawny. All five or six of them were boys, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran up to them and told them to stop because they were causing inconvenience to the residents, especially those living near the bridge,” she said.

However, instead of apologising, they became “abusive”, even going to the extent of threatening to pour oil on her clothes hanging along the corridor. The next day, she called up the Housing Development Board, asking them to remove the stone benches and tables.

“Do you know who requested those stone benches and tables? Dr Toh Chin Chye,” she continued her story. Backing down was something she did not do – she had requested for Dr Toh to stay over at her house for one night to understand her problem, an invitation that Dr Toh didn’t take her up on.

Her efforts were far from futile though, because two days later, the area with the stone benches and tables started getting locked up at 10pm daily, effectively putting an end to the noise.

“If I don’t  speak up when there’s oppression, then the oppression affects me and others… If avoiding is a strategy you employ all the time, nothing gets resolved, and you have to live in the oppressive situation. That to me, is an important value.”

Resilience is more than just surviving adversity; it is about thriving in spite of it. Mdm Halimah’s story is a wonderful reminder that perseverance and determination can help one navigate tough situations.

Being Inclusive

As a woman, there were unique challenges Mdm Halimah faced in becoming president. Being the first female president was a “daunting task” to her as she felt pressure to lead by example. This drove her to take on multiple responsibilities as she wanted to ensure her success in the role.

“If I didn’t succeed, people would think “She’s wasting time, female presidents are useless,”” she said. She felt “tremendous stress” as she had a “great sense of responsibility” to uphold. Nonetheless, she believes that women in leadership roles are important for society because they view situations differently from men, and that is a refreshing perspective she enjoys seeing.

“At the end of the day, whether you’re a male or female, what’s important are your skills, qualifications, experiences, competencies, hard work, and discipline. That’s all that matters… Criticisms will be there, but my policy is…to never focus on the negativity, but rather continue to do what you do. If you’ve got certain goals [and] objectives to achieve, you just [need to] focus on [these],” said Mdm Halimah.

She believes that the key is to focus on one’s goal, do what is right, and not dwell on negativity.

The audience paying attention to the personal stories shared by Mdm Halimah. Photo by Hamizan Ahmad.

Embrace Your Humble Beginnings

At eight years old, Mdm Halimah’s mother became the sole breadwinner of her family when her father passed away. Her mother sold Nasi Padang to raise her five children. Despite the financial difficulties, Mdm Halimah became a lawyer and worked hard to get to where she currently is today.

She shared that in primary school, during events where students were allowed to wear their own clothes, she would always show up in her school uniform. This was because her clothes were “shabby” and “not so nice”.

“[The students] were supposed to come in their best clothes and best shoes. I didn’t have the best clothes or shoes, so I came in my uniform as it [made] me feel a lot better,” she explained.

Every cloud has a silver lining, she continued, “It helped me along the way in terms of my character, my values, my principles. I never took anything for granted.” Not only that, the adversity helped her develop “empathy” to understand people’s needs. Mdm Halimah’s story is a prime example that our backgrounds do not define our futures, but instead, fuel our drives to achieve greater things as they shape character and build a foundation of strength.

Words of wisdom with Mdm Halimah as she shares her advice passionately. Photo by Kristel Tan.

Be Adaptable

Many of us are uncertain of the future, especially youths who struggle to figure out what they want to do when they grow up. Often the advice to “follow your passion” is given, but many are not skilled enough at their passions to earn a livelihood from them. Mdm Halimah’s advice is to always look for the good in setbacks, no matter how dull or boring the task at hand may be.

“All jobs are routine and regular, but what you can do is inject some enthusiasm and interest in the job. Look at the job and say “It’s not just a job. It’s a place where I can contribute and add value”,” she said. “You’re creating a product that can better the lives of people.”

She then went on explaining how Artificial Intelligence is threatening the job security of many. To combat this, she encourages the process of lifelong learning.

“You’ve to make sure that your skills and competence continue to be relevant,” Mdm Halimah said. She believes in constantly upgrading oneself, upskilling, and always ensuring one has the right skills for future jobs.

 Breakout groups for reflections were formed after the Question and Answer session with Mdm Halimah ended. Photo by Kristel Tan.

Takeaways and Comments

The talk by Mdm Halimah at the Jauhari Series left a lasting impression with the audience as her words resonated with them. Her true and touching stories allowed them to connect with her on a deeper scale. It did not feel as if the audience was listening to the ex-President of Singapore. Instead, it felt like they were listening to a parental figure.

“I felt very inspired [after this event]. I also felt very empowered because a lot of the things she talked about really resonated with me… after this, I feel even more inspired to do more,” Brent Bermudez, 17, student, reflected from his experience after the talk session. Having been raised by a single mother like Mdm Halimah, he felt a profound connection with her, as her stories touched him.

Mr Wong Wei Kong, Editor-in-Chief of the English/Malay/Tamil Group in Singapore Press Holdings, said, “What she shared was really valuable because she was very candid and frank. She had quite a lot of experiences to share about her life and career. I think that is inspiring to the young people in the audience, and I learnt a lot from this event.”

Overall, the advice obtained from this eye-opening session would be beneficial to everyone, regardless of age. We could all stand to live more intentionally, speak up for what’s right, be more inclusive, have humility in our interactions, and be more open to change.