Zaqy Mohamad co-opted into PAP central executive committee
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The central executive committee has also appointed Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad as chair of the party’s Malay Affairs Bureau.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
- Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad has been co-opted into the PAP's central executive committee and appointed chair of the Malay Affairs Bureau.
- Zaqy replaces Faishal Ibrahim, who resigned from all political roles due to a "lapse of judgment" in personal conduct.
- Faishal acknowledged his behaviour was below expected standards and resigned as MP and PAP member after 20 years in politics.
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SINGAPORE – Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad has been co-opted into the PAP’s top leadership body.
The ruling party’s central executive committee (CEC) has also appointed Zaqy, 51, as chair of the PAP’s Malay Affairs Bureau, it announced on July 22.
He replaces former chairman Faishal Ibrahim, who also sat on the CEC but resigned from political office as an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC and from the PAP on July 20 over his conduct.
Faishal had been co-opted after the 2025 General Election. With Zaqy’s appointment, the CEC will have 18 members.
This comes as Zaqy, who is also Senior Minister of State for Defence, takes over Faishal’s Muslim Affairs portfolio. Zaqy will relinquish his portfolio at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment in Cabinet changes announced on July 22.
Faishal – who was also Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs – had announced his resignation from political office following a “lapse of judgment” in handling his interactions with a woman.
The politician of 20 years also resigned from his roles as MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC and as a member of the PAP.
Zaqy, speaking on his appointment as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, thanked his predecessors for the strong foundations they had laid.
“Over the years, I’ve learnt that trust is built by staying close to the ground, and communities value leaders who are present, who are prepared to listen sincerely, and who are prepared to walk with them through any challenges,” he told reporters at the National Press Centre on July 22.
He said he would meet people from various segments of the community in the coming weeks, to better understand their concerns and work together.
“The work of serving our community has always been bigger than the minister alone,” Zaqy said.
“It is a shared responsibility, and I hope that we will all work together to journey ahead as one united community.”
