Singapore’s acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim resigned from his cabinet position and the ruling People’s Action Party following interactions with a woman that prompted mutual allegations of harassment. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the resignation on Monday, noting that the interactions primarily occurred through online messages, though the two parties also met at public events. Wong stated that no criminal offence had been committed and no criminal charges would be filed, but questioned whether the conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and member of parliament.
In his resignation letter, Faishal acknowledged a lapse in judgment, stating there was no physical relationship and he had not intended the interactions to develop into one. He cited a failure to establish appropriate boundaries as the basis for stepping down. Faishal had served as a member of parliament since 2006 and assumed his ministerial role in 2025.
The resignation marks another chapter in a series of controversies affecting Singapore’s ruling party in recent years. In 2023, then-Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran was investigated for corruption and subsequently pleaded guilty to receiving over 380,000 Singapore dollars in gifts from Malaysian billionaire hotel magnate Ong Beng Seng in exchange for advancing business interests. That same year, two senior members of the opposition party stepped down after admitting to an affair, while two ministers were investigated and cleared regarding their rental of state-owned properties. Former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong previously noted that the party’s reputation had suffered damage from the accumulation of scandals. The People’s Action Party has historically positioned itself as maintaining high ethical standards.