Singapore's Muslim Affairs Minister Resigns Over Online Interaction with Woman

Singapore’s Acting Minister for Muslim Affairs, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, has resigned after his interaction with a woman was deemed not to meet the ethical standards of a public official. Faishal Ibrahim chose to step down even though an investigation concluded no criminal offence had been committed. Previously, both parties had also levelled harassment accusations against each other. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said most of their interaction occurred via online messages, with some meetings on the sidelines of public events. “This matter came to our attention about a month ago when the Prime Minister’s Office received an email from a female member of the public regarding her interactions with Faishal,” Wong said in a statement, as reported by Channel News Asia on Monday. Wong had asked for the matter to be followed up promptly, and Faishal and the woman were interviewed separately to understand their respective accounts, he added. Both parties subsequently made harassment allegations against each other, and the matter was referred to the police, who investigated the claims. “After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances, and after consulting the Attorney-General’s Chambers, it was assessed that no criminal offence was committed by either party,” Wong said in the statement. No criminal action will be taken against either of them. “However, there is a separate question as to whether Faishal’s conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and Member of Parliament,” Wong said. “Upon reflecting on the matter, Faishal acknowledged that his conduct did not meet those standards, and tendered his resignation,” he added. Meanwhile, in his letter to PM Wong, Faishal, who is married with two children, admitted he had “made an error of judgement”. “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 judgement on my part in the way I handled the interactions, and in the failure to set clearer boundaries at an early stage,” Faishal said. Faishal added that he realised his conduct did not meet the standards expected of him and was not in keeping with the responsibilities entrusted to him. “I have therefore decided that it is right for me to step down from politics, so that I can devote my time and attention to my family,” he concluded.