Anger as president elected without vote
AN establishment stalwart was named yesterday as Singapore’s first woman president, but the milestone was overshadowed by criticism that her selection was undemocratic after she was handed the job without a vote.
Halimah Yacob, former speaker of parliament from the Muslim Malay minority, did not have to face a poll for the largely ceremonial post after authorities had said her rivals did not meet eligibility criteria.
It was not the first time in the affluent city-state – which is tightly controlled and has been ruled by the same party for decades – that the government has disqualified presidential candidates, making an election unnecessary.
But there was unease about the process because it was the first time that the presidency had been reserved for a particular race, in this case the Malay community.
Handing her the job without an election added to the anger.
Social media was abuzz with criticism as Halimah, 63, was announced as the president-elect, with Facebook user Pat Eng writing: “Elected without an election. What a joke.”
Joel Kong said on the site: “I will only call her president-select.”
Some posts were marked with the hashtag, #NotMyPresident, echoing the message used by upset Americans after the election of President Donald Trump. Halimah was a member of parliament for the ruling People’s Action Party for nearly two decades, before resigning to contest the presidency.
She addressed the concerns about the selection process yesterday.
“I’m a president for everyone. Although there’s no election, my commitment to serve you remains the same,” she said after being elected.
Halimah said she would start working immediately to bring the country together.
Singapore’s leader has limited powers, including vetoing senior official appointments. But an establishment figure has always held the role and there are rarely tensions with the government.