Hun fratrådte som [[parlamentsmedlem]] og formand for parlamentet den 7. august 2017 for at stille op til posten som [[Singapores præsidenter|Singapores præsident]] ved valget i 2017.<ref>{{cite news|title=PM Lee accepts Halimah Yacob's resignation from the PAP|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pm-lee-accepts-halimah-yacob-resignation-from-the-pap-9099312|access-date=7. august 2017|work=Channel NewsAsia|date=7. august 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807211217/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pm-lee-accepts-halimah-yacob-resignation-from-the-pap-9099312|archive-date=7. august 2017}}</ref> Den 13. september 2017 kunne det konstateres, at der ikke var opstillet andre kandidater, hvorfor hun blev erklæret vinder af valget.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/presidential-election-2017/halimah-yacob-declared-president-elect-after-walkover|title=Halimah Yacob declared president-elect after walkover victory|first=Lee|last=U-Wen|publisher=Channel NewsAsia|access-date=13. september 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/who-is-halimah-yacob-singapore-s-first-female-president-9206546|title=Who is Halimah Yacob, Singapore's first female President?|work=Channel NewsAsia|access-date=2017-09-13|language=en-US|archive-date=25. december 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225100639/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/who-is-halimah-yacob-singapore-s-first-female-president-9206546|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hun blev indsat i præsidentembedet den følgende dag,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/halimah-yacob-sworn-in-as-singapore-s-8th-president-9216250?view=DEFAULT|title=Halimah Yacob sworn in as Singapore's 8th President|first=Lianne|last=Chia|publisher=Channel NewsAsia|date=14. september 2017|access-date=14. september 2017|archive-date=23. juni 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623085100/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/halimah-yacob-sworn-in-as-singapore-s-8th-president-9216250?view=DEFAULT|url-status=dead}}</ref> hvorved hun blev den første kvindelige præsident i Singapores historie.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/halimah-yacob-named-singapore-malay-president-170913073940319.html|title=Halimah Yacob named Singapore's first female president|last=|first=|date=13. september 2017|website=Al Jazeera|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2017-09-14}}</ref>
Levende_personer Politik Samfund