Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob to be awarded highest civilian honour
She will receive Order of Temasek (With High Distinction) from successor Tharman Shanmugaratnam at National Awards Investiture
SINGAPORE — Singapore's former president Halimah Yacob has been conferred with the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction), the highest civilian honour in the city-state.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a press statement on Wednesday (25 October) that the award will be presented to her by her successor, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, during the National Awards Investiture to be held at the Institute of Technical Education College Central on Sunday.
Halimah tops list of National Award recipients
Halimah, who served as Singapore's eighth president and was the first female to hold the position, leads the list of National Award recipients for this year, said PMO in their statement.
Her term as the head of state spanned from 2017 to 2023, with her last day in office on 13 September. She had chosen not to seek re-election in the 2023 Presidential Election, which former senior minister Tharman subsequently won.
Since stepping down from her presidential role, Halimah has taken on the role of chancellor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Past presidents honoured and the tiers of the order of Temasek
Former presidents Wee Kim Wee, S R Nathan, and Tony Tan have previously received the honour. The last person to be given this award was former senior minister S. Jayakumar.
According to the PMO's website, the Order of Temasek was established in 1962, and consists of three distinct grades: Order of Temasek (With High Distinction), Order of Temasek (With Distinction), and Order of Temasek.
Only Singapore citizens can be admitted to the Order, with non-Singapore citizens admitted under special circumstances. One such instance is Indonesian former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was conferred in 2014 for his contribution to regional cooperation and the close bilateral ties between the two countries.
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