By Xinghui Kok

SINGAPORE, July 20 (Reuters) - Singapore's Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim has resigned from office over his interactions with a woman, Prime ‌Minister Lawrence Wong said in a statement on Monday.

"Most of their interactions ‌took place through online messages. They also met on the sidelines of public events," wrote Wong.

Both parties later ​made allegations of harassment against each other, and the matter has been investigated by the police, he added.

The People's Action Party, which prides itself on a "whiter than white" reputation, has been rocked by political scandal in recent years.

In 2023, then Transport Minister S. Iswaran was probed ‌for graft and senior lawmakers ⁠resigned over affairs, prompting former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to say that his party had taken a hit from a spate of ⁠scandals.

Wong said no criminal offence had been committed by either party in Faishal's case and no criminal action will be taken, but "there was a separate question of whether Associate Professor Faishal's ​conduct ​met the standards expected of a political office ​holder and member of parliament."

Faishal also ‌resigned from the ruling People's Action Party. Faishal has been a member of parliament since 2006 and became the acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs in 2025.

In his resignation letter posted on the website of the Prime Minister's Office, Faishal said: "While there was no physical relationship between us, and I did not intend for the interactions to develop into one, ‌there was a lapse of judgment on my ​part in the way I handled the interactions, and ​in failing to establish clearer ​boundaries at an earlier stage."

Wong said he was saddened Faishal was leaving ‌politics under these circumstances.

Faishal did not immediately ​respond to an ​email requesting comment.

In 2024, Iswaran pled guilty to obstructing justice and receiving more than $300,000 worth of gifts, and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Last year, Singapore ​ministers and a lawmaker also ‌came under scrutiny for attending dinners with a convicted money launderer.

Two ministers ​were also investigated and cleared of wrongdoing over their rental of exclusive state-owned properties in 2023.

(Reporting ​by Xinghui Kok; Editing by David Stanway)