Order of Temasek for former President Halimah

Halimah Yacob will be awarded the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction), previously known as the Order of Temasek (First Class).

Three former presidents of Singapore ― Tony Tan Keng Yam, Sellapan Ramanathan (who chose to be known as S R Nathan) and Wee Kim Wee –― also received the award.

What did Mdm Halimah do that was exceptionally over and above what is expected of a president?

The statement from the Prime Minister's Office does not state why Mdm Halimah was conferred the award[1].

The Straits Times adds[2]:

"Madam Halimah was vocal about gender equality and spoke her mind on various social issues, such as the need to protect older workers. 

She has also long been a strong proponent of building interfaith relationships and encouraging multicultural dialogue.

…  the President’s Challenge had focused on empowering people with disabilities, building a digitally inclusive society and supporting caregivers, among other causes."

CNA adds[3]:

As President, Madam Halimah approved the government's draws on past reserves during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was known for championing women's issues among other social causes.

The Order of Temasek was instituted in 1962.

None of Singapore's earlier presidents ― Yusof bin Ishak, C V Devan Nair, Benjamin Henry Sheares ― were conferred the award. All of them served, and stepped down, during the tenure of prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The practice of conferring the Order of Temasek to presidents after they stepped down started with prime minister Goh Chok Tong and continued with prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Other than former president Ong Teng Cheong.

Furthermore, as the president ranks above the prime minister in the order of precedence[4], it is nonsensical for a lower ranking person to confer an award to a person who is higher.

Perhaps this was the reason Lee Kuan Yew did not confer the Order of Temasek to any of the three presidents who served and stepped down during his term as prime minister.

Or he thought that they were just doing their job as president.

Updated 25 Oct 2023 11:40pm

Notes

1. Madam Halimah Yacob, the eighth President of the Republic of Singapore, has been conferred the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction) (Prime MInister's Office, 25 Oct 2023).

2. Former president Halimah Yacob awarded Singapore’s highest civilian honour (The Straits Times, updated 25 Oct 2023 4:28pm).

3. Singapore's former President Halimah Yacob awarded nation's highest civilian honour (CNA, updated 25 Oct 2023 1:25pm).

4. Singapore order of precedence (The Straits Times 17 Aug 1967)

Leave Amos Yee Alone

Why is The Straits Times so fascinated about Amos Yee? [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

ST's Aqil Hamzah wrote [1]:

At his sentencing in December 2021, he had been advised by Judge Carol Howard that pleading guilty to the charges meant he could be deported, denied admission to the US, or denied naturalisation as a US citizen in the future. The convictions could also affect his ability to obtain housing, employment and other licences, including a driving licence.

The Straits Times has contacted the US Department of Justice to find out the conditions of Yee’s parole, as well as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to learn if he will be deported.

Yee had fled Singapore for the US in December 2016, a day before he was supposed to report for a medical examination ahead of his enlistment into national service.

He was granted political asylum in the US in 2017 after citing persecution for his political opinions, following two separate incidents that saw him jailed twice in Singapore.

…

ST has contacted the Ministry of Home Affairs to find out if Yee will be detained if he were to be deported back here. 

Aqil Hamzah seems strangely dissatisfied with Yee's being paroled "barely halfway" into his six-year jail term in the US for grooming a teenage girl and possessing child pornography.

Aqil Hamzah even saw the need to repeat the details of Yee's offence [1]:

In February 2019, he repeatedly requested that the victim – a 14-year-old girl who lived in Texas – provide photos of herself in the nude, with him returning in kind.

He also engaged in role play and sexual fantasies with her, and exchanged thousands of messages.

The Chicago Sun-Times daily newspaper reported then that the girl had repeatedly brought up her age in messages with Yee on WhatsApp, the messaging platform on which they communicated.

Yee then instructed her to remove her age from her WhatsApp profile.

During his sentencing, he had an additional 16 other child pornography-related charges dismissed as part of a plea deal he accepted,

It's time to move on and leave Yee alone.

There are more newsworthy Singaporeans and more important matters that ST, which is now funded by Singapore taxes, could or should devote its resources to reporting on.

Notes

1. S'porean Amos Yee released from US prison after serving half of 6-year term for sex-related offences (The Straits Times, updated 8 Oct 2023, 10:23pm).

2. S'porean blogger Amos Yee sentenced to 6 years' jail in US for child pornography, grooming (The Straits Times, updated 3 Dec 2021, 9:15pm).

3. S'porean blogger Amos Yee facing porn-related charges in US, considering plea deal (The Straits Times, updated 13 Nov 2021, 8:36pm).

4. Amos Yee says he looks forward to making new videos after being granted asylum in US (The Straits Times, 27 Sep 2017, 11:46am).

5. Amos Yee: Prerogative of the US to take in people who engage in hate speech, says Singapore (The Straits Times, 25 Mar 2017, 7:46pm).