Mariam Jaafar


Mariam Jaafar is a Singaporean politician currently serving as the Member of the Parliament for Sembawang GRC since 2020.

Early life and education

Mariam grew up in a 1-room HDB flat with her siblings and parents. Her father was a teacher who used to teach Malay and her mother was a nurse. She attended Raffles Girls Primary School for three years before transferring to Bukit View Primary School. When she was 13 years old, Mariam received MENDAKI Scholarship from then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. Mariam studied at Raffles Girls' School and Raffles Junior College.
Mariam obtained a scholarship to study at Stanford University where she earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in electrical and electronics engineering in 2000. Mariam graduated with a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 2006.

Career

Following her graduation from Harvard Business School, she worked at Boston Consulting Group. 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.
In 2016, Mariam was chosen to be a member of the Committee on the Future Economy, chaired by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat. Mariam serves on the Board of Directors at the Government Technology Agency and at the Sentosa Development Corporation. She is also on the Board of Governors at her alma mater, Raffles Girls' School.

Political career

In the 2020 election, Mariam was nominated as a candidate of the ruling People's Action Party for Sembawang GRC. On 10 July, she was elected to the Parliament, defeating the opposition candidates from the National Solidarity Party.

Personal life

Mariam has a Malaysian cousin who also studied at Stanford University. She is also a fan of Liverpool FC. She is married to fellow Singaporean Stanford alum Teck Thai Heng.