This is a sad period for Singapore politics.
Two Sundays ago, news came that Opposition politician Kenneth Jeyaretnam had died of a clot in his vein. He was only 67. The next day, it was about Acting Minister for Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim’s sudden resignation over an exchange of messages with a woman.
Both politicians contributed to politics in very different ways.
Jeyaretnam was an accomplished economist: he got double first-class honours in economics from Cambridge. He used his knowledge of economics to question the suitability of some of Temasek’s investments.
Jeyaretnam was among the first to post views on two ministers’ decision to rent government-owned properties in Ridout Road. He was issued a number of POFMA orders, and the government went to parliament to declare there was nothing improper in the dealings.
But Jeyaretnam’s electoral performance did not match his father’s; in one election, it was so dismal that he even lost his deposit. Unlike Jeyaretnam Senior’s ability to connect with Singaporeans, the son appeared detached and distant during election campaigns.
Faishal’s story takes on a different trajectory. His political rise was consistent with that of a rising star. From MP to Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of State to Acting Minister, his was a great ride. It was his role as Acting Minister that made him a talking point among the Muslim community.
He got that job soon after the 2025 General Election when predecessor Masagos Zulkifli and his team at the Tampines GRC won narrowly against a spirited Workers’ Party group. Sensing that the Malay/Muslim community was restive, the PAP sent a couple of its big guns to soften the ground. In the end, the PAP team won, but by a narrow margin of 52.02 per cent of the vote.
Faishal folded his sleeves immediately after he took on the new role and applied a band-aid to the community’s restiveness over Israel’s attacks on Hamas. His speeches to the community were more nuanced and showed the politician’s willingness to listen and act on their grievances. He displayed a listening ear and an earnestness of spirit.
To deal with any fallout that could arise from the affair, the government acted swiftly. A new Acting Minister was appointed, and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam made it clearer why the PM had to act. “Once the lady emailed… to complain about Faishal, it ceased being a purely private, casual matter,” he said in a statement. And the Prime Minister met community leaders to explain the issues and to answer the questions they had.
It was an important point. Although he did not say it so explicitly, it was clear that the issue could have turned into a social media storm with the government being questioned about transparency and its unwillingness to act swiftly.
Before Shanmugam’s statement, many took to social media to talk about their experiences with Faishal. Phrases like nice man, good listener, and helpful MP were all over in their posts.
The resignation also threw up the question of whether his action – which he said did not involve physical intimacy – deserved an action like resignation. It has become clearer that Faishal should not have done what he did.
Still, the PAP government has to give some serious thought to such matters. Singapore society and its social mores are changing. And it needs to ask itself whether some of its high standards about governance and politics need a deep rethink.
