Singapore’s Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Faishal Ibrahim, has resigned from government and the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) after an investigation into his interactions with a woman raised concerns about whether his conduct met the standards expected of a public office holder, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Monday.
Wong said most of the interactions occurred through online messages, while the pair also met on the sidelines of public events. Both individuals later accused each other of harassment, triggering a police investigation.
Police found that neither Faishal nor the woman had committed a criminal offence, and no charges would be filed. However, Wong said the issue extended beyond criminal liability, noting that 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.”
Faishal, who had served as a member of parliament since 2006 and was appointed Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs in 2025, also resigned from the PAP, the party that has governed Singapore since independence and has long promoted a reputation for high ethical standards in public office.
In a resignation letter published on the Prime Minister’s Office website, Faishal acknowledged what he described as a “lapse of judgment” in handling the interactions.
“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,” he wrote.
Wong said he was saddened by Faishal’s departure from politics under such circumstances but accepted the resignation.
The case adds to a series of controversies that have tested the PAP’s image in recent years. In 2023, senior lawmakers resigned over extramarital affairs, while then Transport Minister S. Iswaran became the subject of a corruption investigation, prompting former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to acknowledge that the party’s reputation had been affected.
In 2024, Iswaran pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and accepting gifts worth more than US$300,000 and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. More recently, two ministers and a lawmaker faced public scrutiny for attending dinners with a convicted money launderer, while two other ministers were investigated and later cleared over their rental of exclusive state-owned properties.
The latest resignation highlights the intense scrutiny faced by Singapore’s political leaders, where public expectations of integrity and accountability remain central to the city-state’s governance model and international reputation.
