SINGAPORE: Singapore’s first woman President has been keeping a low profile since her term ended in 2023, but a post she put up on Facebook on Wednesday (March 26), asking people to be kind to single mothers, appears to have struck a chord.
This is largely due to Mdm Halimah’s openness in her post, where she shared her own very personal experiences.
The former President shared a photo from the Facebook group Singapore Private Hire Car Drivers & Riders Community, which showed a Grab driver on her motorcycle. A sign on the driver’s green delivery bag reads, “Please be careful while driving. I’m a single mom, thanks.”
Mdm Halimah wrote that, for her, this is a photo that speaks volumes.
“My mother was a single mum too when my father died when I was 8 years old. I can never forget her struggles to put food on the table. Let’s be kind and considerate. Learn to stand in the shoes of others,” she explained.
Mdm Halimah’s father died of a heart attack, leaving her mother, Mdm Maimun Abdullah, to raise and support five children on her own. Mdm Halimah was still a child when she helped her mum sell nasi padang along Prince Edward Road, an online biography of the former President says.
When her mum died in 2015 at the age of 90, Mdm Halimah paid tribute to her, writing, “She never believed in giving up and was always concerned about the welfare of others. Despite the many blows life handed to her, she never complained. Right to the end, she remained stoic and strong, not once complaining of pain or discomfort.”
Her March 26 Facebook post has been shared over 300 times and received many comments.
One commenter wrote, “It’s very heartening to hear your plight brought up by a single mother. No wonder your excellent commitment during your tenure as a President very excellent esp on the issue of those who wanted to make end meet of food and goodies catering from home.”
“Madam Halimah, your mother wld have been proud of u,” another opined.
A netizen chimed in: “Well said madam. Only people who went through hardships understand.”
Another understood the message of the Grab driver, writing, “Is not just about her being single mom, (but it’s) more of if something happens to her, nobody (would) care for her kids.” /TISG
Read also: Former President Halimah Yacob Honored with Singapore’s Top Award, Celebrated as a Trailblazer