Mariam binte Jaafar (Jawi: مريم بنت جعفر; born 1977)[1] is a Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Woodlands division of Sembawang GRC since 2020.
Mariam Jaafar | |
|---|---|
| مريم بنت جعفر | |
 Mariam in 2021 | |
| Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC (Woodlands) | |
| Assumed office 10 July 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Amrin Amin (PAP) |
| Majority | 48,341 (34.58%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1977 (age 46–47)[1] Singapore |
| Political party | People's Action Party |
| Spouse | Heng Teck Thai |
| Alma mater | Stanford University (BS, MS) Harvard University (MBA) |
Early life and education
Mariam grew up in a 1-room HDB flat with her parents and siblings.[2] Her father was a Malay language teacher while her mother was a nurse.[2]
She attended Raffles Girls' Primary School for three years before transferring to Bukit View Primary School.[2] When she was 13 years old, Mariam received the MENDAKI Scholarship from then-Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.[3]
Mariam attended Raffles Girls' School and Raffles Junior College before graduating from Stanford University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in electrical and electronics engineering.[2]
She subsequently went on to complete a Master of Business Administration degree at Harvard Business School in 2006.[4]
Career
Following her graduation from Harvard Business School, she worked at Boston Consulting Group.[2][5] She is currently a Managing Director and Partner at the BCG office in Singapore and is a core member of the firm's Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Financial Institutions practices.[6]
In 2016, Mariam was chosen to be a member of the Committee on the Future Economy, chaired by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat.[7] Mariam serves on the board of directors at the Government Technology Agency and at the Sentosa Development Corporation.[8][9][10] She is also on the board of governors at her alma mater, Raffles Girls' School.[11]
Political career
In the 2020 election, Mariam was nominated as a candidate of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) for Sembawang GRC.[12] On 10 July, she was elected to the Parliament, defeating the opposition candidates from the National Solidarity Party (NSP).[13]