Yaacob Ibrahim

Dr. Yaacob bin Ibrahim (born 3 October 1955) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is the country's Minister for Communications and Information, and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. A Member of Parliament (MP) since 1997, he was the Minister for Community Development and Sports from 2003 to 2004, as the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources from 2004 to 2011, and as the Minister for the Information, Communications and the Arts from 21 May 2011 to 1 November 2012.

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).

He is married and his two children have dual citizenship until the age of 18. His children are Singapore citizens and attend Singapore schools.

Education and early career
Yaacob studied in Tanjong Katong Technical Secondary School. 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.

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.