Shanmugam sheds some light on Faishal's exchange with woman, pays tribute to his good deeds, hopes he can bounce back

Coordinating Minister for National Security of Singapore K. Shanmugam has provided more details on the circumstances surrounding Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim's resignation.

Faishal, who served as Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, and was Member of Parliament for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, announced on Jul. 20 that he was resigning from political office and relinquishing his role as an MP, and a member of the People's Action Party.

In a statement issued the same day, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had received an email from a female member of the public concerning her interactions with Faishal.

The matter was investigated immediately.

The PMO said that after considering the facts and consulting the Attorney-General's Chambers, it was assessed that neither party had committed a criminal offence and hence no criminal action would be taken against either of them.

However, PM Wong said a separate question remained over whether Faishal's conduct met the standards expected of a political office-holder and MP.

Faishal acknowledged that his conduct fell short of those standards.

Woman sent messages and pictures to PM Wong

In a Facebook post on Jul. 22, Shanmugam said Faishal had engaged in a series of online interactions with the woman.

According to him, Faishal explained that he was concerned the woman might react negatively if he abruptly ended communication with her.

"Nevertheless, his responses were, objectively, inappropriate and questionable. They come across as engaging with her. Indeed, that was how the lady interpreted his responses, and said she was encouraged to continue," Shanmugam wrote.

He added that the woman later became upset when Faishal tried to put a stop to the online exchanges.

She subsequently emailed PM Wong, attaching some of the messages and photographs, and alleged that Faishal had harassed her.

Shanmugam said both Faishal and the woman made allegations of harassment against each other, and the matter was referred to the police for investigation.

At that point, the incident "ceased being a purely private, consensual matter between two individuals", he wrote.

As the woman had lodged a complaint against a public office-holder, the PMO had to assess whether Faishal's conduct was appropriate, Shanmugam said, adding that Faishal was given a fair hearing.

"Regardless of his intentions, one has to look at the evidence and facts. Faishal himself reflected on the matter and acknowledged that he should not have allowed his exchanges with the lady to carry on, and he should have established clear boundaries from the start. He also came to the conclusion that his position as MP and Minister was untenable. That is why he decided to resign and PM accepted his resignation."

Shanmugam added that the standards governing such situations had previously been set out by first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong:

"The principle is straightforward. Where a matter remains entirely private and inappropriate conduct stops after counselling, it can remain a private matter. But when the matter enters the public domain through a complaint or otherwise, it must be examined and if there has been impropriety appropriate action must follow."

"A very sad situation"

All in all, this is a very sad situation, Shanmugam wrote.

He described Faishal as a "good, honest, humble, hardworking man, who really cares for the people", adding that he had known him for over two decades:

"He is my friend and comrade."

Having worked closely with Faishal in Nee Soon GRC for 15 years and more recently at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shanmugam said he had come to know him as someone focused on making a difference to the lives of others.

"He is a true gem. His heart is in the right place – to serve the people," he said. "I haven’t come across many people, in or out of government, better than Faishal."

Faishal's contributions were "extensive"

Shanmugam also highlighted three examples of Faishal's contributions to the community:

1. About a decade ago, Faishal started the 100=50 initiative in Nee Soon Central to help lower-income residents purchase groceries at more affordable prices, an initiative Shanmugam said has helped many families over the years.
2. Faishal also took up Chinese calligraphy as a way of bringing people together across communities, personally writing calligraphy pieces of residents during Chinese New Year celebrations.
3. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when multiple cases were detected at a block in Nee Soon Central, Faishal personally visited affected residents to reassure them and address their concerns.

Shanmugam added that Faishal has never hesitated to help residents personally, driving residents with mobility issues to and from their homes on some occasions.

While these were only three examples, he said the examples were not isolated ones and that Faishal's contributions were extensive:

"They are consistent with the way Faishal has approached public service throughout his career. That is the man I have known for more than 15 years."

"I hope that he will recover from this tragic turn in his life and will find ways to contribute in different ways to the community and Singapore," he said.

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