A Muslim woman will replace the former Speaker of Singapore’s parliament, who was forced to step down in a sex scandal, it was announced Tuesday. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he would nominate Halimah Yacob.

currently minister of state at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, for the post when parliament sits next Monday. She will be the country’s first female Speaker. Halimah, 58, will replace Michael Palmer, 44, who abruptly resigned last month after publicly confessing he had an extramarital affair with a community worker in the latest high-profile sex scandal to hit the city-state.

Halimah, who must resign from the cabinet before she takes up her new post, has extensive experience in the labour movement, social work and pre-school education.