Former acting minister Faishal Ibrahim in talks with NUS to return to academia

Former Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Assoc Prof Faishal Ibrahim is in discussions with the National University of Singapore (NUS) on returning to teaching.

This was confirmed by a university spokesperson in response to AsiaOne's queries on Aug 24.

"NUS and Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim are now discussing the arrangements for his return to academia," the spokesperson said.

The 58-year-old resigned from political office over a conduct which fell short of the standards expected of a political office holder and MP.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on July 20 stated that the office had received an email from a female member of the public concerning her interactions with Assoc Prof Faishal.

Most of their interactions took place through online messages, and they also met on the sidelines of public events.

Both parties subsequently made allegations of harassment against each other, and the matter was referred to the police. 

But no further action was taken after it was assessed that no criminal offence has been committed by either party.

In his letter to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Assoc Prof Faishal clarified that there was no physical relationship between him and the woman, and that he did not intend for the interactions to develop into one.

Assoc Prof Faishal was in politics for about 20 years.

He made his political debut in the 2006 General Election, representing the Kaki Bukit division of Marine Parade GRC, and later moved to Nee Soon GRC in 2011 and retained his seat in the 2011, 2015 and 2020 General Elections. 

He was redeployed to Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC during the 2025 General Election.

His Kembangan division was previously helmed by former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, who resigned over propriety and conduct matters in 2023.

After the election, Assoc Prof Faishal, who was then a minister of state, was promoted to Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and took over the Muslim Affairs portfolio from Masagos Zulkifli in 2025.

Prior to entering politics, Assoc Prof Faishal worked as a valuer at the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore before joining NUS as a senior tutor and later becoming an associate professor in 2010.

A listing on the university's website indicated that his fields of research include banking, finance and investment; urban and regional planning; applied economics; transportation, logistics and supply chains; and, human geography. 

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