Singapore: Singapore’s acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim, has resigned from the Cabinet, Parliament and the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) following concerns over his interactions with a woman, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced.
In an official statement, Wong said that most of the interactions between Faishal and the woman took place via online messages, and that they also met on the sidelines of public events. Both individuals later made allegations of harassment against each other, prompting a police investigation.
The Prime Minister clarified that the authorities found no criminal offence had been committed by either party and that no criminal charges would be filed. However, Wong stressed that the issue extended beyond criminal liability and concerned whether Faishal’s conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and Member of Parliament.
“While no criminal action will be taken, there was a separate question of whether Associate Professor Faishal’s conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and member of parliament,” Wong said.
Faishal, who has served as a Member of Parliament since 2006, was appointed acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs in 2025. Following the development, he submitted his resignation from his ministerial post, Parliament and the PAP.
In his resignation letter published on the Prime Minister’s Office website, Faishal acknowledged making an error in judgment. Faishal remarked that, “While there was no physical relationship between us, and I did not intend for the interactions to develop into one, there was a lapse of judgment on my part in the way I handled the interactions, and in failing to establish clearer boundaries at an earlier stage.”
Prime Minister Wong said he was saddened by Faishal’s departure from politics under such circumstances, while reaffirming the importance of maintaining high ethical standards for public office holders. The resignation adds to a string of political controversies that have affected Singapore in recent years. In 2023, former Transport Minister S. Iswaran was investigated in a corruption case involving Malaysian hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng. Iswaran later pleaded guilty to receiving expensive gifts, including tickets to sporting events and theatre shows, some linked to advancing Ong’s business interests.
The same year, two senior members of Singapore’s main opposition party resigned after admitting to an extramarital affair, while two Cabinet ministers were investigated and later cleared over their rental of state-owned properties. The incidents prompted former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to acknowledge that the series of scandals had damaged the PAP’s long-standing reputation for integrity.
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