Singapore’s Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim has resigned from office and stepped down from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) following an investigation into his interactions with a woman, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Monday.
In a statement, Wong said most of the interactions took place through online messages, although the two also met on the sidelines of public events. He added that both parties later made allegations of harassment against each other, prompting a police investigation.
According to Wong, the investigation concluded that neither party had committed a criminal offence and that no criminal action would be taken. However, he said the matter extended beyond criminal liability and raised questions about whether Faishal’s conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and a member of parliament.
Faishal, who has served as a member of parliament since 2006 and became Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs in 2025, also resigned from the PAP.
In his resignation letter, published on the Prime Minister’s Office website, Faishal acknowledged what he described as a lapse in judgment. He wrote that while there had been no physical relationship and he had not intended for the interactions to develop into one, he failed to establish clearer boundaries at an earlier stage.
“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,” Faishal wrote.
Wong said he was saddened that Faishal was leaving politics under such circumstances but maintained that the standards expected of political leaders required accountability beyond the threshold of criminal conduct.
Faishal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The resignation adds to a series of political controversies that have affected the PAP in recent years. The party has long promoted what it describes as a “whiter than white” standard of integrity for its office holders.
In 2023, then Transport Minister S. Iswaran came under investigation for graft, while senior lawmakers resigned over extramarital affairs, prompting then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to acknowledge that the party had been damaged by a succession of scandals.
In 2024, Iswaran pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and receiving gifts worth more than S$300,000 and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Last year, several Singapore ministers and a lawmaker also faced public scrutiny over their attendance at dinners hosted by a convicted money launderer.
Faishal’s departure marks the latest high-profile resignation from the ruling party as it continues to confront questions over the conduct and accountability of its political leaders.
