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Lunch With Sumiko
The 5am call that changed Faishal Ibrahim’s life, and why he says leadership can be soft but effective
His climb up the political ladder has been gradual but Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim tells Sumiko Tan that connecting with people matters more to him than ambition.
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Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim discusses his to-do list as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, issues of tension between community needs and national policy, and whether his life has been a good example of the Singapore story.
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April, 2006. It was 5am in the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, and Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim was fast asleep in his hotel room when his mobile phone rang.
The number was unfamiliar so he ignored it. When the phone rang again, he let it buzz. But by the third call, he figured it must be important.
