Election of Speaker

At 3.30 pm, the Serjeant-at-Arms laid the Mace below the Table.

The Leader of the House stood up and addressed herself to the Clerk of Parliament.

The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Clerk, I propose, "That Mdm Halimah Yacob do take the Chair of this Parliament as Speaker".

Member Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng stood up and addressed himself to the Clerk of Parliament.

Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer): Clerk, I support the proposal.

There being only one proposal, the Clerk then declared Mdm Halimah Yacob to have been duly elected as Speaker of this Parliament. [Applause.]

Mdm Speaker, standing at the Table, made an Affirmation of Allegiance.

Mdm Speaker went to the Chair and sat down.

Then the Mace (which before laid below the Table) was placed on the Table.

3.56 pm

The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, on behalf of all Members of this House, I congratulate you on your re-election as Speaker of the Thirteenth Parliament.

Madam, your election as Speaker in 2013 endowed the office with 11 years on both the Front and Back Benches. You championed passionately for the disadvantaged in Singapore. You pushed for fair treatment of workers and fought on behalf of those in need. You sought to ensure that Singapore is a country where all Singaporeans have fair access to opportunities and can enjoy the fruits of our progress. As the Minister of State for the then Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and, subsequently, Ministry of Social and Family Development, you worked tirelessly to extend needed help to women, families and children.

In the last three years as Speaker, your impartiality and decisiveness have gained the respect of all Members of the House. In discharging your duties, your fairness upheld the decorum of this House and your firmness has ensured that the proceedings are expeditious, smooth and orderly. Under your guidance, the good standing of this House will continue to be maintained.

The coming session of Parliament will present us with many difficult but necessary decisions. To provide Singaporeans with quality living, our infrastructure and landscape must be refreshed, our economy must continue to be dynamic and our social safety nets must be strengthened. We must build good homes for people to live in, provide an efficient transport system for commuters, continue economic restructuring to create good jobs for our workers and educate our students to be ready to take on those good jobs. We must also continue to maintain quality and affordable healthcare and give Singaporeans the care that they deserve. We must do all these amidst an uncertain global environment and certain internal challenges, including those of a changing demographic with a fast-ageing population.

These concerns are complex and there is no straightforward way to address them all. Facing up to them will involve making trade-offs and there will be energetic debate in this House on the course of action we must take. We welcome sincere, serious debate from Members as we discuss these vital issues affecting all Singaporeans, decide on the future that we want to create and launch the next chapter of our country's story together.

Mdm Speaker, as we consider these matters, your leadership and guidance will ensure fair debate in this House and your even-handedness will honour and maintain the trust that Singaporeans have in this Government.

3.59 pm

Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Mdm Speaker, please allow me to address in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, I am, indeed, heartened that you have been unanimously re-elected once again as the Speaker of Parliament. When you first became the Speaker of Parliament, it was a proud moment for many, including the Malay/Muslim community, women and also your friends in the Labour Movement. As a female Speaker of Parliament, you inspire all the women out there to pursue their ambition and dreams. In some of my trips to other countries, I have learnt that the reality of having enough female representation in parliament is still a distant dream for some countries. To have a female representing our House as the Speaker speaks volumes of our meritocracy and maturity as a society to the world.

I have nothing but complete faith that you will carry out the responsibilities of Speaker of Parliament with the same impeccable standards that we have had the pleasure of witnessing over the past three years. All our proceedings were guided smoothly and order and decorum were well observed in keeping with the dignity of the House. You have also shown that no matter who we are, where we come from or where our political inclinations may lie, you have treated each and every member of the House with the same level of impartiality and respect.

Indeed, you have been a role model for several of us here. Our debates may be tedious at times, but it is through your efforts that the House can come together to carry out its primary duty, that is, to serve our fellow Singaporeans.

Mdm Speaker, allow me to express my full support to your election as the Speaker of Parliament. I truly appreciate all the work you have done and it will be my honour to discharge my duties once again in the Thirteenth Parliament together with you.

(In English): Allow me to share a quote that you shared when you were first elected as Speaker of Parliament. This quote is from the great novelist and poet, Robert Louis Stevenson: "Don't judge each day by the harvest that you reap, but by the seeds that you plant."

4.02 pm

Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, congratulations on your re-election as Speaker of the Thirteenth Parliament. Your re-election is, indeed, well-deserved. I believe my Parliament colleagues are just like me, feeling happy and wishing you the best.

Back in 2013, when you were first elected as Speaker of Parliament, you were the first woman Speaker in Singapore. This not only proved your strength, but also laid a new milestone in Singapore's political landscape.

As Speaker, you presided over various matters in Parliament, made sure the proceedings were conducted in an orderly manner and completed within a set time. You had also to balance the interests of different parties and ensure that Members had enough time and space to speak up. The Twelfth Parliament saw heated debates every now and then and words crossed like swords; you needed to step in at an appropriate time to make a decision to make sure the debate and other matters could carry on. The duty of Speaker also includes representing Singapore in international conferences. You have always, as expected, won applauses for Singapore. These are all challenging tasks, but you can always handle appropriately and with ease as well.

Nearly a quarter of the Members in our Parliament are women. As the first woman Speaker, your success, no doubt, has further opened the door in politics for women in Singapore and equipped women who are interested in serving the country with more confidence. Hence, your being re-elected as Speaker is like injecting another booster for us.

SG50 is just over. As we celebrate our achievements, we also look forward to the next 50 years in Singapore. I believe the President's Address later this evening will outline the broad direction of Singapore's development and the Government's policies. Therefore, the Thirteenth Parliament will be an important platform to lay the foundation for the next 50 years. I believe this means there will be more heated and exciting debates in the Chamber and your role as Speaker will be even more important.

Mdm Speaker, I look forward to the Opening of the new Parliament and I hope you can also take care of your health, because Parliament will be busy again. Once again, congratulations!

4.05 pm

Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang): Mdm Speaker, in Tamil.

(In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, I echo my colleagues in congratulating you. It was a historic moment when you were first nominated as Speaker in 2013. You became the first woman to be Speaker in Singapore. Despite being a female and a minority from a humble background, you distinguished yourself in public service, always fighting for the vulnerable and continue to be an inspiration and role model for all in the House.

During your decades with the Union, you used your legal skills to fight for workers' rights. As an Member, you spoke up on a variety of issues and focused on vulnerable groups and, as Minister of State, you looked into policies affecting these groups directly. You continue to inspire and remind all Members that it is our duty to look out and speak up for those who need it.

You have recently become Member of Parliament for Marsiling-Yew Tee, just next door to Sembawang GRC. Already, stories of your hard work on the ground are spreading amongst residents in the Woodlands and Marsiling areas. Despite being Speaker of the House, you continue to be an active, hard-working and down-to-earth Member of Parliament and remind us, by example, of the importance of serving our residents.

As Speaker, you presided over many important and sometimes heated debates in the last Parliament. You were always fair and impartial in giving people opportunities to speak up, while keeping proceedings efficient. Of course, like all Members, I wish you would notice my hand more often, but understand the limitations.

I look forward to an exciting legislative term ahead, with you in the Chair. Congratulations once again, Mdm Speaker.

4.09 pm

Mdm Speaker: Hon Members, please allow me to thank the Leader of the House, Ms Grace Fu, for her kind words in proposing me as the Speaker, and Mr Cedric Foo for seconding the nomination. My gratefulness also to Mr Zainal Sapari, Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Vikram Nair for their kind words in supporting my nomination and to all of you for supporting the nomination as well.

I am, indeed, most humbled by your trust and confidence in me and for re-electing me as the Speaker of the House. This is a duty that I do not take lightly as I understand the tremendous responsibilities and expectations that follow this appointment. It is a great privilege and honour to serve in this House and I will discharge my duties fairly and impartially.

I entered this House as a backbencher in 2001, and had presided as the Speaker over the last three years. Over the Twelfth Parliament, I had the honour to preside over a number of major debates. These include the most unforgettable Special Sitting to commemorate our longest-serving and truly outstanding Member of this House, our late Founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Mr Lee's absence will be felt in this House. And I am sure that succeeding generations of Members will continue to be inspired by his work and vast contributions to this House.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new Members to this House. I know that you are raring to go and I look forward to your maiden speeches. You come from different backgrounds and will bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to the debates in this House, contributing to more robust policy-making. Being new, you will take some time to be completely immersed in your new role as Parliamentarians. Do seek the help of our Parliament Secretariat, if you need to, and I am sure that your more experienced colleagues will also be more than happy to show you the ropes.

I urge you to familiarise yourselves with the Standing Orders of the House. I am bound by the Standing Orders which are designed to ensure that we can maintain order, but, at the same time, allow you to speak freely. You are also covered by Parliamentary Privileges, which give you a fair amount of wriggle room to make your speeches. However, at all times, remember that with those privileges are attached great responsibilities, which require us to use them wisely.

I urge you to keep your speeches succinct − perhaps, if it is succinct, I can see more of your hands when you put them up − as the length of a speech is no indication of its impact. Make speeches that are honest, sincere and heartfelt. There is no need to play to the gallery. It is much easier to be convincing if you care about your topic. So, you should figure out what is important to your message and speak from your heart. Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said in this Parliament, "You must have convictions. If you don't have convictions, you are going in for personal glory or honour or publicity or popularity. Forget it."

Hon Members, the forces that we have to contend with as we enter the New Year are numerous and daunting. Greater global economic uncertainties, regional insecurities and unprecedented challenges to our safety and security will require not just quiet introspection on our part but cohesiveness and single-mindedness in purpose and action. Only the collective resolve and strong determination of all Singaporeans will overcome them. As Parliamentarians, we must lead the way. Regardless of the party that we represent, or the interests that we wish to champion, we are, first and foremost, the representatives of the people and must act in their best interest. We certainly have our work pretty much cut out for ourselves − I think you will agree with me.

Let me wish all hon Members all the very best in the discharge of your duties. Thank you. [Applause.]

Hon Members, I wish to inform you that the President will be present in this Chamber to deliver his speech at the Opening of Parliament later.

I, therefore, suspend the sitting until 8.30 pm this evening.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 4.15 pm until 8.30 pm.

Sitting resumed at 8.30 pm