Why Singapore PM Wong moved swiftly on Faishal Ibrahim’s resignation

Singapore’s acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim resigned about a month after the prime minister learned of his improper interactions with a woman, a move observers say shows Lawrence Wong’s swift handling of the first scandal under his watch to contain any political fallout.They told This Week in Asia that while there was no affair in Faishal’s case, it made sense for the party to deal with the consequences quickly in case of leaks as the woman was a member of the public, not a party member whom the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) could counsel or discipline.Furthermore, Faishal’s position as acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs meant Wong had to be sensitive to the community’s reaction – and potential embarrassment – if the matter was not swiftly extinguished and a replacement sought for the post.