Petition urges PM Wong to reject Faishal Ibrahim's resignation, gathers over 900 signatures

An online petition calling on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to reject Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim's resignation has gathered more than 900 signatures within days of appearing online, amid an outpouring of tributes from residents and community figures across his current and former constituencies.

Faishal resigned as Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, as Member of Parliament (MP) for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Group Representation Constituency (GRC), and as a member of the People's Action Party (PAP) on 20 July, after acknowledging a lapse of judgment in his handling of interactions with a woman who is a member of the public.

In his resignation letter, Faishal said there had been no physical relationship between them and that he had not intended for the interactions to develop into one, but that he had failed to establish clearer boundaries at an earlier stage.

PM Wong's office said the matter had been referred to the police, and that following investigation and consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, it was assessed that no criminal offence had been committed by either party.

The petition

The petition, titled "Urge the Prime Minister of Singapore to reject Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim's resignation" and started by an individual identified as R Ridjal Noor, had gathered 390 signatures within a day of appearing and has since surpassed 900. It does not appear to require signatories to verify they are based in Singapore, and is seeking 10,000 signatures.

The petition calls on PM Wong to decline the resignation and allow Faishal to remain in his ministerial and parliamentary roles. It argues that Singapore needs experienced and steady public leaders, and that a capable leader's departure costs more than political continuity, citing the loss of relationships, experience and ongoing work that residents rely on. It describes Faishal as a leader who has shown commitment, accessibility and a serious approach to public service.

The petition's central request, that PM Wong "reject" Faishal's resignation and reinstate him, applies most straightforwardly to his ministerial appointment, which is within the Prime Minister's discretion.

His parliamentary seat is a separate matter under Article 46(2)(a) of the Constitution, requiring resignation to be addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, currently Seah Kian Peng, who also sits as one of the remaining MPs for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.

Seah's own public remarks organising the team's response to the vacancy suggest the Speaker's office has received formal notice, though this is expected to be confirmed on the record when Parliament next sits, on 4 August. PAP membership, a third and separate matter, is governed by the party's own internal processes rather than the Prime Minister's office.

Community tributes

Alongside the petition, residents and community figures across several of Faishal's current and former constituencies have posted extensively about his approach to grassroots work, painting a consistent picture of an MP known for personal attentiveness.

One Kembangan-Eunos resident, in a post shared widely on social media, described years of engagement with MPs and ministers through Meet-the-People Sessions while helping families, including single mothers, facing difficult circumstances.

She said Faishal stood out for listening and acting rather than leading with assumptions or procedure, recounting a family with two young children who had struggled for years to secure housing before he intervened. "It wasn't simply a family receiving a house. I saw two children's future change," she wrote, adding that she hoped for healing and fairness in how the matter was handled, "whether there is conspiracy or not".

Roderick Ng, branch secretary for Kembangan, described working alongside Faishal on house visits, community events and Meet-the-People Sessions over the years. He recalled one house visit where a resident gave difficult feedback, during which Faishal listened patiently without interrupting and thanked the resident for their views once the conversation ended.

Ng said the moment illustrated that public service was "not about reacting to criticism, but about listening with humility, respect and grace, even when the conversation is difficult". He said Faishal never made residents feel rushed during Meet-the-People Sessions regardless of how busy the evening was, and that serving alongside him had shaped his own approach as a volunteer.

On Threads, a user known as moneymakcik asked why so many in the community and party continued to speak well of a leader who had resigned over personal conduct, a post that drew dozens of replies.

One resident from Kembangan-Eunos wrote that her family had relied on Faishal for support and that her sons looked forward to seeing him weekly during his rounds. Another said they were "under his wing" and called his departure a great loss to the community. Some replies were more critical or questioning, including one asking whether he was now jobless and another accusing supporters of "white washing" the matter.

On Facebook, a Nee Soon resident whose family had lived in the area for close to two decades, where Faishal served as MP for 15 years before his 2025 transfer to Marine Parade-Braddell Heights, wrote that he remembered Faishal not for the headlines but for his consistent presence at community events, describing him as approachable and warm.

He said years of service to families and community ties should not be overshadowed by a single difficult chapter, adding that "none of us is defined solely by our lowest moment".

Another Facebook user described repeated encounters with Faishal at community, culinary and charity events over the years, recalling him as humble and sincere, someone who would allow residents to put an arm around him for photos and would personally reshare posts he was tagged in on social media.

A temple representative who said he had known Faishal for close to two decades, since before his organisation's founding, recalled his period as MP for Kaki Bukit, where he said Faishal and his team would sometimes handle more than 90 cases during a single Meet-the-People Session, often working late into the night. He said Faishal had continued serving residents through difficult personal periods, including after the death of his father, and had supported the organisation on several occasions, including as guest of honour at its anniversary dinner.

A further resident recalled Faishal visiting her in hospital in 2018 after she was struck by an e-scooter at Bishan Park, describing him as a "good leader" and saying she hoped authorities would look closely into how the matter had come to light.

Calls for a by-election

Separately from the petition and the tributes, a few voices have proposed a different response to the resignation.

Former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng suggested Faishal's ward be carved out as a standalone Single Member Constituency with its own by-election, while alternative party Red Dot United called for a by-election across the whole GRC, citing its uncontested result at the 2025 General Election. 

Education Minister and PAP's Vice-chairman Desmond Lee has confirmed no by-election will be held, consistent with the Court of Appeal's 2019 ruling in Wong Souk Yee v Attorney-General.