SINGAPORE: After the resignation of Faishal Ibrahim was announced on July 20, numerous Singaporeans reacted online, with a number of them questioning whether he should have resigned at all, and whether the standard to which he was expected to uphold was too high.
Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim stepped down from political office, as a Member of Parliament (MP), as well as from the People’s Action Party (PAP). He had been Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, and was also an MP since 2006.
He admitted to a lapse of judgment in his conduct with a female member of the public in failing to establish boundaries, although he made it clear that there had been no physical relationship between them.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong accepted Assoc Prof Faishal’s resignation, saying that there had been allegations of harassment from both parties. While no criminal action would be taken, the question remained concerning Assoc Prof Faishal’s conduct and the standards expected of him, he added.
There has been an outpouring of support and well-wishes online for the former Acting Minister, including from fellow Parliamentarians, former President Halimah Yacob, and others.
Like the Prime Minister, they noted his contributions, especially to the Muslim community, and praised his character, expressing regret at his resignation.
Others wondered if it had been necessary for him to step down at all.
The academic Walid J Abdullah wrote in a social media post, “There are not too many people who are in power who are as nice and humble as Prof Faishal…
Given what we know about the matter (though granted, we do not have the full information), did he need to resign? I don’t think so. I fear that impossible standards are being set, and younger people may be deterred from stepping up to serve in politics.
And the criteria I would use is: is Singapore better off today than yesterday? I think the answer is no. He was a good Minister for the country.”
Former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng, who commented that he agreed with Prof Walid, wrote a series of posts on the matter.
In the first, he bluntly stated, “I do not think Faishal should resign,” and pointed out that the “whiter-than-white, holier-than-thou attitude” of the ruling People’s Action Party would cost them in the long run.
In another, he wrote, “A good man should not have his whole career and life destroyed for something like this. How should this be handled? Let him apologise and be transparent… We don’t live in 17th-century Puritan England. The people will understand.”
In the third, he simply wrote, Even saints will think twice about joining the PAP now. Good luck to them!”
The content creator Jeremy See echoed some of the sentiments above, writing, “Did he really need to step down? I don’t think so. If we judge leadership by a simple question — Is Singapore better off today than yesterday? — the answer is no. We lost a dedicated Minister and 20 years of experienced public service.
An MP is elected to serve constituents, bring vigour to parliament, and advance Singapore’s national interests — not to pass a puritanical purity test on how they live outside of work. At this rate, fewer and fewer capable, high-calibre people will ever step forward to serve this country if it means putting every second of their personal life under a public microscope.” /TISG
Read also: Faishal Ibrahim resigns due to ‘lapse of judgment’ over female member of the public
