Abdullah Tarmugi was the Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore

Parliament of Singapore

The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...

 as well as the Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 of East Coast Group Representation Constituency

East Coast Group Representation Constituency

East Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency in the eastern area of Singapore. The areas of the Group Representation Constituency consists of East Coast, Bedok, Changi-Simei, Fengshan, Siglap, Kampong Chai Chee and offshore islands of Pulau...

 from 1996 to 2011.

Born to a Javanese Father and Chinese Mother. His father was a low salaried Surveyor's Assistant and his grandfather ran a provision shop.

He studied at Raffles Institution

Raffles Institution

Raffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...

 and had a Bachelor of Social Sciences at the then University of Singapore, followed by a Post-graduate Diploma

Diploma

A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...

 in Urban Studies at the University of London

University of London

-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...

 in 1972 under a Commonwealth Scholarship

Commonwealth Scholarship

The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries.-History:...

.

He has been a Member of Parliament since 1984 starting out at Siglap constituency

Siglap

Siglap is a neighbourhood in the eastern part of Singapore established in 1955, consisting primarily of low-rise residential properties. It is part of the Bedok Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority...

 and later Bedok Group Representation Constituency

Bedok Group Representation Constituency

Bedok Group Representation Constituency is a defunct Group Representation Constituency in Bedok, Singapore that existed from 1988 to 1997.-Members of Parliament:-Elections in 1990s:...

 from 1991 to 1996. Before becoming Speaker on 25 March 2002, Abdullah was the Minister-in-charge for Muslim Affairs, Minister for Community Development, Minister for Community Development and Sports from 1996 to 2000 and 2000 to 2002 respectively. He was also the Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 1989 to 1993.

He announced his retirement from politics on March 24, 2011, prior to the Singapore general election, 2011.