According to a press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (2 Oct), President Halimah Yacob will be moving out from her home at Yishun Avenue 4.
MHA said it has conducted a careful assessment of the security arrangements for the President and has informed the President that the security agencies face several challenges in ensuring her security and protection, if she continues to stay in her current home.
MHA has therefore strongly advised the President to consider moving to another place. This will enable the agencies to ensure her safety and security with greater assurance.
“President has accepted MHA’s security recommendation. She will make arrangements to move to a new place soon,” the press release said.
According to the accredited media, MHA declined to provide further details about the moving out of the President. There is no information as to where would she be moving out to.
Mdm Halimah wrote on Monday on her Facebook page, “Thank you for everyone’s concern with regard to my residential arrangements. MHA has just issued a statement that I will be moving out of Yishun. This was done upon further discussions with the Government. This is to allow our security agencies to carry out their duties with greater assurance.”
She had earlier expressed her intention to stay at her Yishun residence prior to the Presidential Election and had no intentions of moving out from the residence after appointed as President-Elect due to a walkover at the election. She and her family has been staying at the Yishun jumbo flat for more than three decades.
However, her intentions were not taken in a positive light as many citizens feel that her decision will inconvenience residents around her block due to the security arrangement and it will increase the expenses that the President incur due to the security arrangement.
TOC had visited the neighbourhood and noticed that there is no significant inconvenience to the residents, caused by the security measures put in place to ensure Mdm Halimah’s safety. Security details were kept to a minimum, with a police officer sitting at the lift lobby and additional officers on her residence level when she is around. Residents whom TOC spoke to, had no issues with Mdm Halimah staying at the block and expressed that they are only disturbed by curious visitors and reporters to the area. Some citizens also took issue with the two parking lots that have been reserved for police vehicles under Mdm Halimah’s flat.
