Singapore's Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim has resigned from office after his interactions with a woman ‘fell short’ of the standards expected of a political office holder and member of parliament, according to a statement by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
According to local media outlets, Faishal resigned on Monday as acting minister-in-charge of muslim affairs, senior minister of state for home affairs, member of parliament and as a member of the People's Action Party (PAP).
In a statement released by the Prime Minister's office, Wong said he had accepted Faishal's resignation.
"Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim resigned today as a Political Office Holder, Member of Parliament (MP), and a member of the People's Action Party, citing personal reasons. I have accepted his decision to resign," Wong said.
The resignation takes immediate effect. The Prime Minister said the matter first came to the government's attention about a month ago.
"This matter came to our attention about a month ago when the Prime Minister's Office received an email from a female member of the public concerning her interactions with Associate Professor Faishal. I asked for the matter to be looked into immediately," the statement read.
According to Wong, both Faishal and the woman were interviewed separately as part of the inquiry.
"Both Associate Professor Faishal and the lady were spoken to separately, to understand their respective accounts. Most of their interactions took place through online messages. They also met on the sidelines of public events."
The statement said both parties later made allegations of harassment against each other, following which the matter was referred to the police. Following the investigation, authorities concluded that neither party had committed a criminal offence.
"After carefully considering the facts and circumstances, and in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, it was assessed that no criminal offence had been committed by either party. Accordingly, no criminal action will be taken against either of them," the Prime Minister said.
However, Wong said a separate assessment was made regarding whether Faishal's conduct met the standards expected of public office holders.
"But there was a separate question of whether Associate Professor Faishal's conduct met the standards expected of a Political Office Holder and MP. Upon reflecting on the matter, Associate Professor Faishal accepted that his conduct fell short of these standards, and tendered his resignation," he said.
The Prime Minister also acknowledged Faishal's years of public service, saying he had made significant contributions over two decades in government. Wong said Faishal played key roles in advancing initiatives that strengthened community resilience, supported the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders, and improved outcomes for vulnerable families.
According to the statement, Senior minister of state Zaqy Mohamad will be appointed acting minister for muslim affairs, while the remaining members of parliament in marine parade-Braddell Heights Grc will continue serving residents in Kembangan.
The latest resignation comes nearly three years after a similar political controversy in Singapore. In July 2023, then speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and People's Action Party MP Cheng Li Hui resigned after their extramarital affair came to light. Then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he had counselled both leaders to end the relationship after learning of it following the 2020 General Election, but accepted their resignations after receiving information that the affair had continued.
