Polarisation, politics and post-truth: Halimah Yacob on leading in a fractured world

AI is intensifying polarisation and eroding trust, making leadership in a post-truth world increasingly difficult, said Singapore’s first female president, Halimah Yacob.

At DBS Bank’s annual International Women’s Day event, the former president said that people today have to contend with three crucial “Ps” — polarisation, politics and the post-truth era. The comments came during a fireside chat with Tan Su Shan, chief executive of DBS Bank

“People today are polarised over many things,from race and religion to ideology. So many issues can push people into very different extremes,” she said. When it comes to politics, she added that in both governments and businesses, people can lose trust in those they perceive as elite and disconnected from the day-to-day realities and challenges of society. Lastly, the post-truth era means that facts are no longer universally accepted as factual. 

“In the post-truth era, people no longer agree on a common set of facts. It can be a fact, but people will still have different opinions about it. So governing is going to be very, very difficult,” she said.

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With these extremes pulling society in different directions, she urged leaders in both the public and private sectors to “grow the middle ground” and allow space for moderation. In fact, according to the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, in Singapore, 74% of respondents report being unwilling or hesitant to trust someone with different values, approaches to social issues, backgrounds, or information sources. This insularity is highest in developed markets such as Japan (89%) and Germany (81%), and Singapore is above the global average. It cuts across income, gender, and age, affecting both developing and developed markets.

“[Growing the middle ground] requires more than telling people, ‘we have wonderful policies,’ but rather explaining why these policies are good for them. Maybe in the short term, some may not be seen positively, but in the long term, they are beneficial,” she said. As such, governments need to build strong narratives and the ability to influence public understanding to help people see their point of view.

In Singapore, while institutions remain trusted — with government still the most trusted institution at 76% — the nation is not immune to the global decline. Over the past five years, inflation (58%), the increasing prevalence of misinformation (50%), and the growing use of generative AI platforms (46%) have been the key factors affecting trust in people and institutions, the report found. IIn 2012, the trust gap between high- and low-income respondents in Singapore was seven points. By 2026, it has more than doubled to 16 points.

Drawing from her experience in the labour movement, Madam Halimah added that at the end of the day, there are no shortcuts to leadership, and that trust is fundamental:

I’ve realised that you may have a law degree, but it doesn’t matter. People must trust you. They must have confidence in you.

In a post-truth, polarised landscape, AI does not operate in isolation — it mirrors the same biases and divisions that are already eroding trust. While AI’s benefits are widely laude Madam Halimah cautions that overreliance on AI could unknowingly encourage gender inequality. “AI has been scraping the internet, social media, published journals and so on and so forth. If there are biases and prejudices reflected, they will be reflected in the answers to your questions. You’ve got to be careful,” said Madam Halimah.

“This is my concern—that AI, which is meant to provide greater gender equality, could actually widen the inequality gap. So be careful when you use it. AI should not replace us; it should be our assistant," she added. 

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