PAP moved swiftly on Faishal case, but string of indiscretions could chip away at party’s reputation: Analysts
With the Cabinet now short of two office holders, analysts say the case could speed up Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s plans for a reshuffle.
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SINGAPORE: The swift handling of Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim’s resignation helps contain the immediate fallout, but analysts said a string of indiscretions could gradually affect the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) “whiter than white” reputation, notwithstanding the way such cases have been dealt with after they come to light.
“Minimally, the element of doubt may grow stronger as resignations of PAP MPs for indiscretions would strike some as regular,” said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan, pointing to earlier cases such as Mr Michael Palmer in 2012 and Mr David Ong in 2016.
The resignation is the latest in a string of exits involving PAP figures in recent years. Former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and Ms Cheng Li Hui resigned in 2023 following their affair. Former Transport Minister S Iswaran quit in January 2024 after a corruption investigation. He was later sentenced to 12 months’ jail.
Following Mr Iswaran’s arrest and the resignations of Mr Tan Chuan-Jin and Ms Cheng, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged that the PAP had taken a hit, but said the party would demonstrate to Singaporeans that it would uphold its standards and do the right thing.
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“For the good of our country, we will carry through what needs to be done in accordance with the law, even if it may be politically embarrassing and painful to the party,” Mr Lee said in parliament in August 2023.
The PAP “prides itself on integrity in governance and virtue in its leadership”, said Assoc Prof Eugene Tan. “These remove bragging rights notwithstanding that the PAP government did not cover up.”
Assoc Prof Faishal, who was acting minister for Muslim affairs, senior minister of state for home affairs and an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, resigned from politics on Monday (Jul 20) over interactions with a woman that “fell short” of the standards required of a political office holder.
UPHOLDING HIGH STANDARDS
The analysts agreed that the PAP acted much more quickly in Assoc Prof Faishal’s case than it did in the case of former Speaker Mr Tan.
However, independent political observer Felix Tan said the two cases differ in how much information has been made public. Unlike Mr Tan Chuan-Jin’s case, few details have been disclosed about the circumstances surrounding Assoc Prof Faishal’s resignation, leaving many unanswered questions, he said.
Mr Wong said the email received by his office was from a member of the public concerning her interactions with Assoc Prof Faishal, which took place mostly through online messages and on the sidelines of public events. The nature or content of these messages has not been disclosed.
Both parties subsequently made allegations of harassment against each other and the matter was referred to the police. Investigations found that no criminal offence had been committed by either party.
The analysts said the handling of Mr Tan’s resignation may have influenced Mr Wong’s response to Assoc Prof Faishal’s case.
Assoc Prof Eugene Tan said it was Mr Wong’s first case of personal indiscretion to handle as prime minister and party leader.
“He demonstrated that he is upholding the high standards set by his predecessors,” Assoc Prof Tan said. “He doesn’t want the current term of government to be ensnared in controversy or be hobbled by distractions so early.”
Dr Felix Tan said Mr Wong would have wanted to resolve the matter quickly, as a protracted controversy could erode public confidence and distract from the government’s policy agenda.
MALAY-MUSLIM LEADERSHIP
Assoc Prof Eugene Tan described the resignation as a “grave setback” for the PAP, as Assoc Prof Faishal had been viewed as capable of building support among Malay-Muslim voters following the 2025 General Election.
He said the resignation leaves the PAP with a leadership gap in the Malay-Muslim community, noting that it is now on its third minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs within a year. Apart from Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, no other Malay full ministers currently sit in Cabinet, he noted.
Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab senior research fellow Teo Kay Key said the Malay-Muslim community would now have to adjust to another minister shortly after Assoc Prof Faishal took on the portfolio following the election.
Asked if Assoc Prof Faishal’s portfolio as minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs held him to a higher moral standard, all three analysts thought so.
Assoc Prof Eugene Tan said while the appointment was political rather than religious, some members of the public might perceive the office as carrying “moral or even religious expectations of probity and conduct”.
Any misconduct, whether actual or perceived, has the potential to “undermine public confidence, diminish the office’s moral authority, and affect both the individual’s standing and reputation”, Dr Felix Tan said.
GAPS IN 4G?
Dr Teo said the latest departure leaves gaps in the Cabinet line-up, with the government now two men short following the exits of Assoc Prof Faishal and former Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, who stepped down in May this year for family reasons.
Some may view this as a test of the government’s ability to deliver on its election promises, she said.
MPs in the affected GRC also have to cover larger areas and more constituents, she added. “If these alternative arrangements fall short in any way, the public’s view of the party might be adversely affected.”
Assoc Prof Eugene Tan said the case could speed up the party’s renewal process, particularly for minority representation.
“A reshuffle could be used to signal that the 4G team is not lacking in breadth and depth of experience and expertise. It will allow (Mr Wong) to induct new blood as well.”
Mr Malminderjit Singh, founder and managing director of political consultancy Terra Corporate Affairs, said the PAP would likely already be preparing for new candidates, including those from the Malay-Muslim community, to join their ranks at the next election.
However, Assoc Prof Faishal and Dr Koh’s departures may necessitate a mid-term cabinet reshuffle or new appointments sooner rather than later, and may see some backbenchers promoted to take on political office, Mr Singh said.
Source: CNA/wt
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