Singapore Acting Minister Quits After PM Cites Personal Contact With Woman

The People’s Action Party, which prides itself on a clean reputation, has been rocked by a series of scandals recently.

Published On 20 Jul 202620 Jul 2026

Singapore’s Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Faishal Ibrahim, has stepped down following concerns over his communications with a woman, according to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

“Most of their interactions took place through online messages,” Wong said in a statement on Monday. “They also met on the sidelines of public events.”

Both individuals have accused each other of harassment, and the police are currently investigating the matter, he added.

The People’s Action Party, which prides itself on a “whiter than white” reputation, has faced multiple political controversies in recent years.

In 2023, then Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran was investigated for corruption alongside Malaysian hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng. A year later, Iswaran pleaded guilty to accepting more than 380,000 Singapore dollars ($294,000) in gifts from Ong, including West End theatre and football match tickets, some linked to the advancement of Ong’s business interests.

Two senior figures from Singapore’s largest opposition party also resigned in 2023 after acknowledging an extramarital affair, while two government ministers were probed and cleared over the rental of state-owned properties. The string of incidents led former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to acknowledge damage to his party’s standing.

Wong noted that no criminal offence was found in Faishal’s case and no legal action would follow, but “there was a separate question of whether Associate Professor Faishal’s conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and member of parliament”.

Faishal, a parliament member since 2006, assumed the role of acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs in 2025. He has now resigned from both the ruling People’s Action Party and his cabinet post.

In a resignation letter published on the Prime Minister’s Office website, Faishal stated: “While there was no physical relationship between us, and I did not intend for the interactions to develop into one, 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.”

Wong expressed regret that Faishal was leaving politics under such circumstances.

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