Singapore’s presidential race thrown open as Halimah Yacob rules out re-election

Halimah Yacob said after ‘careful consideration’ she will not stand for re-election when her six-year term ends on September 13

Executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings Ho Kwon Ping and former transport minister Khaw Boon Wan are among possible candidates for the president’s role

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Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob has decided against seeking re-election. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:12pm, 29 May 2023Updated: 7:12pm, 29 May 2023

Singapore’s presidential race was thrown wide open on Monday after incumbent Halimah Yacob said she would not be seeking a re-election when her six-year term is up this September.

Halimah said in a statement that she was “aware of the tremendous responsibilities of the presidency” and had taken on the position with the aim of cultivating a “more caring and compassionate society”.

“The president has significant constitutional, ceremonial, and community-related duties, and holds the second key to our reserves, and to key appointments in the Public Service,” she said.

While Singapore’s prime minister heads the government of the day, the president has the authority to veto spending bills or government requests to draw on past reserves.

The former speaker of parliament was declared the city state’s first female president in 2017 following a tense reserved presidential election in which four candidates were disqualified for either failing to meet the stringent criteria or were not of Malay ethnicity.