Chitchat SBF Interviews Mdm Halimah Yacob, speaker of Parliament

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

SBF: Welcome Mdm Yacob.

HY: Please call me Halimah, everyone does.

SBF: We are keen to trace your background and how you arrived at this stage in your life.

HY: What is there to trace, my life has been an open book.

SBF: Actually that is not the case. Your CV is frankly shows nothing about your background or your past. Its full of details on appointments to Parliamentary Committees. There is no indication of your academic qualifications, the schools that you went to and even the jobs that you held. Why the secrecy? Its actually one of the worst cases of a CV that I have seen.

HY: Are you sure? I am very open person.

SBF: Ok, let compare your CV to another of your Party colleagues, Tharman Shanmugaretnam. His shows his academic qualifications, his key job appointments, and he even mentions his wife's name and the number of children including boys and a girl. So you see we have no idea who you are, what you have done and absolutely have no idea if you are married, have children or living by yourself. Surely you have to acknowledge that it is thread bare.

HY: I think my assistant did it and did not ask me.

SBF: Thats fine Mdm Yacob, lets move on to your appointment as speaker of Parliament. How did you become Speaker of Parliament?

HY: I got a call from the PM and I am the sort of person who is prepared to serve where ever I am asked to.

SBF: You sound exactly like our past President Mr S R Nathan. He said the same thing. Surely there must be a reason that he asks you specifically. Some attributes that makes you qualified for it.

HY: I believe it was because I was legally trained and that I had the right temperament.

SBF: I don't think having a legal background is a factor. Tan Soo Khoon was a Biz Ad grad and watch retailer by vocation. He turned out to be an outstanding Speaker of Parliament who was fair to both sides and sharp as hell. He was known repeatedly to put down Wong Kan Seng who was the PAP's party whip known for his frequent request to shape discussion in parliament to the party's favour. Could you clarify how your temperament suits the speaker's role. As you know the speaker must have the profile that can control the house and allow discussion to flow naturally.

HY: Yes, that the temperament I was referring to.

SBF: Would we be correct to say that after the young Michael Palmer's affair, the PM was looking for a safe pair of hands and because of your age and personality he knew that you are unlikely to cross any boundaries.

HY: I think he was looking for someone that can do the job.

SBF: Lets say a young Singaporean having just reached 21 and is ready to vote and he wants to have an idea of what you have achieved that is special to you and you alone. So many people have served NTUC and Parliament so we not looking at just having served in these 2 places but something very unique or special. Could you help us out here.

HY: I am not one to blow my trumpet. I go where I am needed. I do not look at my past accomplishments or dwell on my previous successes. I am comfortable what I am and who I am.

SBF: How then are citizens able to assess you and thus my mention of a young Singaporean having reached the voting age. I specifically placed the context in order for you to appreciate the challenge that he or she faces.

HY: I am sure he or she would have read about developments in the press.

SBF: Firstly the local press can be discounted as their own industry peers around the World have repeatedly rubbished them. Secondly your CV says practically nothing so I hope you appreciate the dilemma.

HY: I think you are missing the point. The PAP is a proven entity. Even when it comes to PE, the Govt will indicate its support for the most suitable candidate even thought they are no longer with a political party.

SBF: Does not seem very democratic and appears to have all the hallmarks of a "guided" democracy if one wants to be kind.

HY: Yes, ours is an Asian society. We cannot ape the West.

SBF: What has the West go to with anything. The point is that none of us are any wiser on your background and your achievements except for time spent with NTUC and Parliament. We also have no idea what you did in NTUC and Parliament that was special and unique. We don't even know if you are married to a Malay. We for instance know that Abdullah Tarmugi, once speaker of Parliament is married to a Chinese. We know that Mr Masagoes Zulkifli is married to Md Jumelah Binte Ja’afar and has 4 children. We also know about Minister Yaacob and his family. You get the picture, you follow me.

HY: You know I still live in a HDB flat.

SBF: We thought you will eventually bring this up. What the deal with this. As speaker of Parliament, your annual remuneration exceeds $500k a year.

HY: I am contented person and I do need to live in a bungalow to feel comfortable. I also like to be with the people that I serve.

SBF: What about your PAP colleagues? Surely you realise that you are putting them down with that comment.

HY: I suppose I am different.

SBF: Now the matter of the tudung. Please stop me if you think we are going into a sensitive area.

HY: This is in regard to my faith and I have made the choice to don a tudung.

SBF: Fair enough. Can I just say that since we started this interview and up to this stage we have no idea where you are from and what you have done all these years despite being one of the longest serving members of parliament. In essence Singapore is not just the NTUC or Parliament. Those in NTUC and Parliament may know who you are and what you did but the rest of Singapore is clueless.

HY: I think I have my best in serving the people.

SBF: To be honest I think you indeed have done your best and I also think that you genuinely think you have done your best even though most Singaporeans have no idea what that is. Thank you for your time Mdm Halimah.

HY: Thank you for having me.


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