Singapore minister resigns over ‘interactions with a woman’, PM says

The People’s Action Party, which prides itself connected ​a cleanable reputation, has been rocked by a bid of scandals recently.

Singapore’s acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim has resigned ⁠over his interactions with a woman, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said.

“Most of their interactions took spot done online messages,” Wong said successful a connection connected Monday. “⁠They besides met connected the sidelines of nationalist events.”

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Both parties made allegations of harassment against each other, and the substance is being investigated by ⁠the police, helium added.

The People’s Action Party, which prides itself connected a “whiter than white” reputation, has been rocked by a bid of governmental scandals successful caller years.

In 2023, past Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran was enactment nether probe for corruption alongside Malaysian billionaire edifice tycoon Ong Beng Seng. A twelvemonth later, Iswaran pleaded guilty to receiving much than 380,000 Singapore dollars ($294,000) worthy of gifts from Ong, including tickets for West End shows and shot matches, immoderate of them successful speech for advancing Ong’s concern interests.

Two elder members of Singapore’s largest absorption enactment besides resigned successful 2023 aft they admitted to having an affair, portion 2 ministers were investigated and cleared of wrongdoing implicit their rental of state-owned properties. This prompted erstwhile Prime Minister Lee ‌Hsien Loong to accidental that his party’s representation was damaged by a bid of scandals.

Wong said nary transgression offence had been committed by either enactment successful Faishal’s case, and nary transgression enactment would beryllium taken, but “there was a abstracted question of whether Associate Professor Faishal’s behaviour met the standards expected of a governmental bureau holder and subordinate of parliament”.

Faishal has been a subordinate of ⁠parliament since 2006 and became the acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs successful 2025. He has present resigned from the ⁠ruling People’s Action Party arsenic good arsenic his furniture position.

In his resignation missive posted connected the website of the premier minister’s office, Faishal said: “While determination was nary carnal narration betwixt us, ⁠and I did not mean for the interactions to make into one, determination was a lapse of judgement connected my portion ⁠in the mode I handled the interactions, and ⁠in failing to found clearer boundaries astatine an earlier stage.”

Wong said helium was saddened Faishal was leaving authorities nether specified circumstances.