Faishal Ibrahim resigns over online messages with female member of the public

SINGAPORE – Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim has resigned from political office over a “lapse of judgment” in handling his interactions with a woman, who is a member of the public.

Zaqy Mohamad, who is Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, and Defence, will take over as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.

In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on July 20, Faishal said there was no physical relationship between him and the woman, and he had not intended for the interactions to develop into one.

But he said that on reflection, he recognised that his conduct “fell short of the standards expected of me and was not consistent with the responsibilities entrusted to me”.

“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,” said Faishal, who also resigned as an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC and from the PAP.

“I have therefore decided it is right for me to step away from politics so that I can devote my time and attention to my family.”

Most of the interactions between Faishal and the woman took place through online messages, and they also met on the sidelines of public events, PM Wong said in a statement on July 20.

PM Wong said the matter had come to his attention about a month ago when his office received an e-mail from the woman involved concerning her interactions with the minister.

He said he asked for the matter to be looked into immediately, and both Faishal and the woman were spoken to separately.

Both parties then made allegations of harassment against each other, and the matter was referred to the police.

The police investigated the allegations, and in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, it was assessed that no criminal offence had been committed by either party and no criminal action would be taken.

But there was a separate question of whether Faishal’s conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and MP, said PM Wong.

“Upon reflecting on the matter, Associate Professor Faishal accepted that his conduct fell short of these standards, and tendered his resignation.”

Speaking to the media at Faishal’s PAP branch in Kembangan, PAP chairman Desmond Lee said Faishal “should have exercised better judgment, and that he should have drawn the boundaries more clearly”.

When asked, Lee did not elaborate on the nature of the interactions between Faishal and the woman or when these began. He said the party has made clear to all PAP MPs through its code of conduct that integrity and conduct “must be of the highest standards”.

“Where a political office holder or MP has conducted himself or herself in a way that compromises that, where there has been a lapse of judgment or a failure to draw boundaries clearly, then action has to be taken,” said Lee, who is Education Minister.

He said that Faishal had offered to resign.

In a letter accepting Faishal’s resignation dated July 20, PM Wong said: “I am saddened that you are leaving politics under these circumstances.

“But I appreciate your acknowledgement that your conduct fell short of the standards expected of you, and your decision to take responsibility for it.”

Faishal, 58, was also Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and sat on the PAP’s central executive committee – its top leadership body.

The remaining four MPs in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC will continue to serve residents in Kembangan, Faishal’s ward, said PM Wong.

When asked, Lee said there will be no by-election in the constituency. The PAP will make additional arrangements to strengthen the team there, he said, so residents can be assured that addressing their concerns and continuing to serve them remains the top priority.

In a Facebook post on July 20, Faishal said he is deeply sorry to have let down his residents and supporters who placed their trust in him.

“I know that this news will come as a surprise to many. I hope you will understand my decision not to say more, out of respect for my family’s privacy.”

Faishal, who is married with two children, said he will now be spending more time with his family. “I am grateful for their support, especially my wife, who has been standing by me throughout this difficult period.”

He added that he has every confidence Zaqy and the team will continue the work to strengthen the Malay/Muslim community “with commitment and care”.

Zaqy, in his first statement to the media as acting minister, said on July 20 that he will continue to engage and better understand the needs of the Muslim community.

“There is still a lot of important work ahead of us, and we must continue building on the progress our community has made.”

Faishal entered politics as part of the PAP’s Marine Parade GRC team in 2006 and was re-elected for three more terms in Nee Soon GRC. He returned to Marine Parade for the 2025 General Election, where his team won uncontested.

Faishal was formerly a National University of Singapore real estate professor before joining politics. He joined the front bench in 2012 as a parliamentary secretary for transport.

He was promoted to senior parliamentary secretary in 2017, holding portfolios in education, and social and family development.

In 2020, he became a minister of state.

In PM Wong’s Cabinet reshuffle in May 2025 following the general election, he was promoted to senior minister of state and acting minister.

Read PM Wong’s letter in full here.

Read Faishal Ibrahim’s letter in full here.