\n<\/p>\n
Responding to questions about whether the consequences were too harsh, Mr Wong said during the press conference that Assoc Prof Faishal himself had concluded that it was “not tenable” for him to continue serving as a political office holder and MP.<\/span><\/p>\n “He also accepts that his responses, his interactions with her, objectively speaking, were questionable and inappropriate,” Mr Wong said. “That’s why he asked to step down.”<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Wong added that Assoc Prof Faishal had requested privacy for himself and his family, and that the government had sought to respect that request as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n The prime minister said he had tried “his very best” to see whether there was a way for Assoc Prof Faishal to continue in office, but concluded that this was no longer a private matter.<\/span><\/p>\n “A complaint has been made against him; it has entered the public arena, and that’s why we have to undertake this objectively, undergo a process where we listen to both parties, and we certainly took pains to listen to Faishal’s explanations as well,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “But after doing all that, we also have to look at the evidence and the facts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Wong said it was clear that Assoc Prof Faishal\u2019s conduct had fallen short of the standards that were expected of him, adding that he had asked several senior colleagues to independently review the evidence, and they reached the same conclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n “That’s why I agreed with his decision to resign. It’s the right course of action to take,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n He also paid tribute to Assoc Prof Faishal’s contributions over two decades in public service, saying the incident did not diminish the work he had done for Singapore.<\/span><\/p>\n “I know it’s very difficult and painful to lose someone like Faishal. I fully understand that, and I fully understand also the outpouring of support and sympathy for him from Singaporeans and especially from the (Malay-Muslim) community,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “He has done good work wherever he went as MP and as office holder, and nothing that has happened, this incident does not in any way diminish the significant contributions he has made to Singapore over the past 20 years.”<\/span><\/p>\n Addressing concerns about continuity in Malay-Muslim political leadership following Assoc Prof Faishal’s resignation, Mr Wong acknowledged that his departure was a setback.<\/span><\/p>\n “Faishal’s resignation is a setback. It’s a setback for me. It’s a setback for the government. It’s a setback for the community. It’s a setback for Singapore,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n “We are very sorry that he has left, especially under these circumstances. But my assurance to the community is that the work continues.”<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Wong said advancing the aspirations and progress of the Malay-Muslim community remains a key priority for his government, and that initiatives that Assoc Prof Faishal worked on during his tenure as minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs would continue.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Zaqy Mohamad has taken over from Assoc Prof Faishal as minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c(Mr Zaqy Mohamad) together with the rest of the Malay-Muslim political office holders and MPs will continue their good work, working with the other Malay\/Muslim leaders in the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe will make sure that there is no pause, there is no break.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nCONTINUITY OF MALAY-MUSLIM LEADERSHIP<\/h2>\n