President Halimah Yacob: One year in office

Halimah Yacob's 1st year in office: President with a common touch

As head of state, she continues to champion society's most vulnerable

President Halimah with members of the Inter-Religious Organisation at a buffet brunch in the Istana's Reception Room on Sept 28 last year. With the President are (clockwise from centre left) Sister Theresa Seow (back facing camera), Mr Kuek Yi Hsing,
President Halimah with members of the Inter-Religious Organisation at a buffet brunch in the Istana's Reception Room on Sept 28 last year. With the President are (clockwise from centre left) Sister Theresa Seow (back facing camera), Mr Kuek Yi Hsing, Mr Shriniwas Rai, Mr Gurmit Singh (partially hidden), Dr H.M. Saleem, Mr Ameerali Abdeali, Mr Ben Benjamin, Mr K. Kesavapany, Mr Ling Kin Huat, Rabbi Mordechai Abergel, Bishop Terry Kee and Mr Rustom Ghadiali. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with members of the Inter-Religious Organisation at a buffet brunch in the Istana's Reception Room on Sept 28 last year. With the President are (clockwise from centre left) Sister Theresa Seow (back facing camera), Mr Kuek Yi Hsing,
President Halimah and her husband, Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, arriving at the Nomination Centre at the People's Association headquarters on Sept 13 last year. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with members of the Inter-Religious Organisation at a buffet brunch in the Istana's Reception Room on Sept 28 last year. With the President are (clockwise from centre left) Sister Theresa Seow (back facing camera), Mr Kuek Yi Hsing,
President Halimah Yacob on the way to her Yishun Housing Board flat with an accompanying officer on Sept 14 last year. She had hoped to continue living in her HDB flat, but eventually had to move because of security considerations. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with members of the Inter-Religious Organisation at a buffet brunch in the Istana's Reception Room on Sept 28 last year. With the President are (clockwise from centre left) Sister Theresa Seow (back facing camera), Mr Kuek Yi Hsing,
During a tour of the Istana grounds ahead of her inauguration as Singapore's eighth president on Sept 14 last year, President Halimah observes a wild fowl - a resident of the compound - accompanied by National Parks Board group director (Fort Canning and Istana) Wong Tuan Wah. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with members of the Inter-Religious Organisation at a buffet brunch in the Istana's Reception Room on Sept 28 last year. With the President are (clockwise from centre left) Sister Theresa Seow (back facing camera), Mr Kuek Yi Hsing,
The President hosting children from non-profit organisation Children's Wishing Well on June 25 this year, as part of the Picnic@Istana programme. She has made it one of her priorities to make the Istana more accessible to ordinary Singaporeans. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
President Halimah with members of the Inter-Religious Organisation at a buffet brunch in the Istana's Reception Room on Sept 28 last year. With the President are (clockwise from centre left) Sister Theresa Seow (back facing camera), Mr Kuek Yi Hsing,
President Halimah taking part in a cheer with Team Singapore swimmers at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on June 5 this year. She visited Team Singapore athletes - from swimming, boccia, pencak silat, water polo and sailing - who were preparing for the Asian Games held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild in
President Halimah, accompanied by Chief of Army Goh Si Hou (on her right), speaking to Singapore Armed Forces officer cadets during their training in Temburong, Brunei's easternmost district, on May 13. Besides meeting the officer cadets undergoing jungle and survival training in Temburong, she observed soldiers completing a combat swim and was shown how they are trained to forage for food. "That was probably as close as I will ever get to a military operation in the unique terrain of Temburong, but at least I can now say that I have a much better appreciation of the realistic training that our troops undergo," said President Halimah, who emphasised the importance of training leaders who care for their soldiers and lead with purpose to the troops. During her state visit, she also cited both countries' close defence ties as an example of close bilateral ties. The SAF conducts regular training in Brunei, and there are frequent bilateral exercises and visits. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild in
President Halimah Yacob attending the state banquet hosted by Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at the Istana Nurul Iman on May 12. She was in Brunei on her first overseas state visit after becoming President. ST FILE PHOTO
Young flute performers (from left) Renee Koh, Nadia Chan, Beverley Ng, Yew Jing Yun and Joshua Yip meeting President Halimah, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong at the Istana on Aug 8. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild in
President Halimah greeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Istana on June 1. A welcome ceremony was held for the Indian leader, who was on a three-day official visit to Singapore. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild in
President Halimah on her first visit to the President's Office at the Istana on Sept 14 last year, ahead of her inauguration as Singapore's eighth president. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild in
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild intellectual disability, ate dessert with the President. ST FILE PHOTO
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild in
Madam Lim Ah Kheoh (left) and Madam Sim Goon Hua with President Halimah at the Istana on Sept 20 last year. The two best friends were invited to lunch after the President read about their disappointment at not being able to meet her at the People's Association headquarters on Nomination Day. PHOTO: ISTANA
President Halimah with Mr Paul Simon before tucking into a meal prepared by him at the Istana on Jan 24. She reached out to him after reading a report in The Straits Times about his wish to cook for her. Mr Simon, who works at a hotel and has mild in
President Halimah greeting trainees undergoing food hygiene training at the Association for Persons with Special Needs' Centre for Adults on Sept 15 last year. Her visit to the centre, which prepares people with intellectual disabilities for jobs by teaching them skills, was her first public event as President. ST FILE PHOTO
Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent
Updated
Sep 14, 2018, 07:15 AM
Published
Sep 14, 2018, 05:00 AM
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When down-to-earth former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, 64, became President last year, she wanted to continue living in her Yishun Housing Board flat.

But security considerations caused her and her husband, Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee, 64, to move to another residence about a month later where it was easier for her security officers to do their job.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 14, 2018, with the headline One year with President Halimah. Subscribe

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