President Halimah Yacob sends condolences after former Zambian president dies
SINGAPORE - President Halimah Yacob has written to President Edgar Lungu and the people of Zambia to express her condolences following the death of the country's former president Kenneth Kaunda. Dr Kaunda, independent Zambia's first president, died on June 17 at the age of 97. In her letter dated Thursday (June 24), Madam Halimah said: "Dr Kaunda was a remarkable statesman who will be remembered for his role as a champion for African independence. He steered the development of a modern Commonwealth, advocating equality and peace in a tumultuous post-colonial period." She added that Dr Kaunda had also supported Singapore during its early years of independence. As a fellow leader of a newly independent country, he had many interactions with the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, both being active participants in Commonwealth meetings. In 1971, Dr Kaunda, who was then Zambia's president, had visited Singapore during the inaugural Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which was held here. More on this topic Related Story President Halimah, PM Lee convey condolences to Britain over death of Prince Philip Related Story President Halimah, PM Lee convey condolences to Bahrain over death of its prim...
Racist acts signal it’s time for S’poreans to confront ‘painful truths’ about beliefs: President Halimah
SINGAPORE - President Halimah Yacob on Thursday (June 10) said recent incidents of "hatred and chauvinism" have shaken confidence in Singaporeans' belief in hard-won cohesion. "It is agonising to read about the incidents of hatred and chauvinism perpetrated by Singaporeans against each other," she said in a Facebook post, calling such acts "so hurtful". "Our greatest fear is how such prejudice will affect our young and influence their minds. We wonder whether these are one-off incidents or reflective of a larger problem," she added. Madam Halimah noted that the law would not, by itself, stop such incidents from being perpetuated. Instead, it is time to have deeper engagements about the importance of cohesion and how to achieve a truly multi-racial and multi-religious society. "In the process, we may have to confront and reassess some very painful truths about ourselves and our beliefs. It may be unpleasant but this is a journey that I feel every Singaporean needs to take," said Madam Halimah, adding that social media use and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic were contributing factors that may mask real issues. Of late, a slew of incidents have sparked widespread attention and debate am...
Singaporeans can overcome challenges of 2020, emerge stronger: President Halimah
SINGAPORE - At the end of a very unusual and challenging year, with Covid-19 causing serious economic and social disruption, Singapore needs "all hands on deck" to overcome the crisis and build a better future for generations to come, President Halimah Yacob said in her New Year message on Tuesday (Dec 29). She added she was confident that Singaporeans were up to the task, noting that the people have shown time and again to be made of sterner stuff, with crises strengthening them and making them even more resilient. Speaking in a video released by the Istana, Madam Halimah said: "We now have to reassess the way we organise our lives, work and businesses as there is no going back to the pre-Covid-19 period. But there are also opportunities. "Covid-19 has accelerated the use of technology, and long-term challenges such as climate change have gained a new impetus. Countries are using the opportunity to reshape their recovery towards a more green and sustainable economy." But the President also observed that Singapore was still experiencing economic headwinds induced by the pandemic, particularly in the aerospace and tourism-related sectors. She said that with concerted efforts, a full...