Halimah Yacob, speaker of Singapore's Parliament, formally resigned as the speaker and a member of parliament on Monday, in order to contest in the presidential election next month.

　　She submitted the resignation letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, which says she also resigns from the ruling People's Action Party, in which she was a member of the central executive committee and chaired the party's Senior Group.

　　She also sent the resignation letters to the Clerk of Parliament and the deputy speaker.

　　The 62-year-old Yacob will be the first woman in Singapore to participate in the presidential election.

　　"In running for the Office of Elected President, my passion and desire to serve the people continues," she said in her letter to the prime minister. "It is a heavy responsibility but I hope that with the support of Singaporeans, we can do more good together."

　　Yacob said in her letter to the Parliament's Deputy Speaker Charles Chong that she seeks Chong's assistance to lead the House until a new speaker is elected.

　　Many local political observers believe Yacob is a front runner in the upcoming presidential race.

　　Mustafa Izzuddin, researcher at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, was quoted as saying that Yacob is undeniably the pacesetter among the three potential candidates, given her long track record of public service and being a well-known figure not just among the Malays but also among the other ethnic groups. Enditem