Skip to content

My role is not to checkmate the government. No, my role is not that. My role is to make sure that our reserves that are released are used in a manner that is meant for our national interests.

— Halimah Yacob

Another quote →

Source and credibility

Wikiquote does not flag this quote as disputed or misattributed.

Source: "The president's role is not to checkmate the government: President Halimah's ST interview" in Mothership.sg (30 July 2023)
Source quality: Precise citation Points to a specific work with a page, chapter, date or similar locator, so you can look it up.

More by Halimah Yacob

I hope that, in terms of gender, that provides at least an opportunity for people to say well, you know, at least in Singapore, you can, regardless of gender, regardless of race, regardless of religion, you are able to reach the highest office, provided you want to work, that you have the capability.

All Halimah Yacob quotes →

More quotes by Halimah Yacob

We have made great progress building a multiracial society over the years, but we also know that this endeavour is a constant work in progress. We need guideposts to help us along this journey.

If I have been able to empower women in Singapore to push the boundaries and reach their fullest potential, I am most grateful for the chance to do so.

To do well in this troubled world, and remain one united people, we will need to strengthen our social fabric. Every Singaporean must feel that they have a stake in our country. The fruits of our progress must be shared fairly, and no one should feel left behind.

If I have succeeded in actually making people look at the presidency as not something that is distant, not attached to people, but at least as one that’s more engaged, close to the people, I think that would be something that I would be very happy about.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. We often associate the Rabbit with its agility, resilience, and high-spiritedness in leaping forward. On this note, I wish everyone leaping success and good health to usher in the Year of the Rabbit.

All Halimah Yacob quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Halimah Yacob (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.