Singapore’s acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim resigned within a month of the prime minister learning about his improper interactions with a woman, a move observers say shows Lawrence Wong’s swift handling of the first scandal under his watch to contain any political fallout.
They told This Week in Asia that while there was no affair in Faishal’s case, it made sense for the party to deal with the consequences quickly in case of leaks as the woman was a member of the public, not a party member whom the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) could counsel or discipline.
Furthermore, Faishal’s position as acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs meant Wong had to be sensitive to the community’s reaction – and potential embarrassment – if the matter was not swiftly extinguished and a replacement sought for the post.
On Monday, Faishal resigned from the cabinet and parliament after inappropriate interactions he had with a woman that resulted in harassment accusations by both parties became known to the prime minister.
No criminal action was found but Faishal, 58, who was also senior minister of state for home affairs, reflected and accepted that his conduct fell short of the standards “expected of a political office holder and MP”, Wong said in a statement on Monday.
Wong revealed that most of their interactions took place through online messages and they also met on the sidelines of public events. Both parties later made allegations of harassment against each other, and the matter was referred to police.