Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim has resigned from politics with immediate effect after acknowledging that his interactions with a female member of the public fell short of the standards expected of him.
The 58-year-old stepped down as a political office holder, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC and member of the People’s Action Party.
PMO Received an Email From the Woman About a Month Ago
In a statement on Monday (20 July), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the Prime Minister’s Office had received an email from the woman about a month earlier concerning her interactions with Faishal.
PM Wong said he immediately instructed that the matter be looked into. Faishal and the woman were then spoken to separately so that their respective accounts could be understood.
Most of their interactions took place through online messages, although they also met on the sidelines of public events.
Both parties subsequently made allegations of harassment against each other, and the matter was referred to the police for investigation.
After considering the facts and circumstances and consulting the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the authorities assessed that neither party had committed a criminal offence. No criminal action will therefore be taken against either of them.
However, the absence of a criminal offence was separate from the question of whether Faishal’s behaviour met the standards expected of a political office holder and MP.
After reflecting on what had happened, Faishal accepted that his conduct had fallen short of those standards and submitted his resignation.
Faishal Says There Was No Physical Relationship
In his resignation letter to PM Wong, Faishal said that a situation had arisen involving his conduct with a female member of the public.
Faishal said there was no physical relationship between them and that he had not intended for their interactions to develop into one.
However, he acknowledged that there had been a lapse of judgment in the way he handled the interactions. He also admitted that he had failed to establish clearer boundaries at an earlier stage.
Faishal said that, upon reflection, he recognised that his conduct fell short of the standards expected of him and was inconsistent with the responsibilities entrusted to him.
He therefore decided that it was right for him to step away from politics so that he could devote his time and attention to his family.
Faishal, who is married and has two children, also thanked PM Wong and the PAP for their support and friendship.
PM Wong Accepts Faishal’s Resignation
In his reply, PM Wong accepted Faishal’s resignation and said he was saddened that Faishal was leaving politics under such circumstances.
However, he said he appreciated Faishal’s acknowledgement that his conduct had fallen short of the required standards, as well as his decision to take responsibility for it.
Zaqy Mohamad Will Take Over Muslim Affairs Portfolio
Senior Minister of State for Defence and Sustainability and the Environment Zaqy Mohamad will be appointed Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
The four remaining MPs in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC will continue serving residents in Kembangan, the division previously represented by Faishal.
The remaining MPs are Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, Tin Pei Ling, Diana Pang Li Yen and Goh Pei Ming.
Faishal Had Been in Politics for 20 Years
Faishal entered politics in 2006 as part of the PAP team in Marine Parade GRC. He represented the constituency until 2011 before moving to Nee Soon GRC, where he served for three parliamentary terms.
He returned to the newly created Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC for the 2025 General Election. The PAP team was returned unopposed after no other team was nominated.
Faishal first became a political office holder in 2012 when he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Health.
He subsequently held appointments in the education, social and family development, national development and home affairs ministries. In May 2025, he was promoted to Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and appointed Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
Before entering politics, Faishal worked as a valuer with the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and later held academic positions at the National University of Singapore.
