Yaacob Ibrahim

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Yaacob Ibrahim bigraphy, stories - Singaporean politician

Yaacob Ibrahim : biography

3 October 1955 –

Personal life

Yaacob was a youth member of Muslim Missionary Society of Singapore (Jamiyah). Initially a volunteer tutor, became the Chairman of the Council for the Development of Singapore Muslim Community (Yayasan Mendaki) in March 2002. He was a member of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) from 1992 to 1996, and is on the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP).

Political career

A Member of Parliament since 1997, he represented the Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (Jalan Besar GRC) (1997-2011) and the Moulmein-Kallang GRC since the 2011 general election. Within both GRCs, he has been responsible for the Kolam Ayer ward. In April 2001 he became the first Mayor of Central District of Singapore until November 2001.

Yaacob was Parliamentary Secretary and Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. He became a Minister of State for at the Ministry of Community Development and Sports in November 2001. In March 2002, Yaacob became the Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and made a full member of the Cabinet in May 2003. He became the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in 2004.

In May 2011, in a cabinet rearrangement, he became Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts. He continues to serve as the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. Yaacob is on the PAP Central Executive Committee as Vice-Chairman. In November 2011, Yaacob proposed the creation of an "online code of conduct" for guiding proper online behaviour.

Education and early career

Yaacob studied in Tanjong Katong Technical Secondary School.[https://www.dropbox.com/s/orr68znjoijjorf/2005ProxyArena(Edited).pdf Proxy Arena – Singapore Education History] He graduated from the University of Singapore with an honours degree in civil engineering in 1980 and in 1989 obtained a Doctor of Philosophy from Stanford University. He was a postdoc at Cornell University. He returned to Singapore in 1990 and joined the National University of Singapore faculty in 1991. He received his department’s teaching excellence award in 1994.