June 6, 2025
SINGAPORE – One of the ways in which Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim tries to engage with young people is by being active on social media and personally replying to messages he receives on his social media accounts.
“They want to be heard. They would like to have an open conversation,” said the newly minted Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs on June 4.
Acknowledging that he is “not young”, Prof Faishal said other ways he engages with younger people are working with younger MPs, speaking to youth during his public engagements as well as creating more mentoring opportunities through Mendaki and other Malay/Muslim organisations.
These are some ways in which he hopes to achieve what he described as a “shared vision” for the Malay/Muslim community – one shaped in part by the community itself, so its members feel a sense of ownership over it.
Achieving such a vision would take some time, said the 56-year-old, adding that he would share updates at different milestones.
Prof Faishal was speaking to reporters at the KopiCuts cafe and barbershop at community hub Wisma Geylang Serai – where he serves as lead adviser – in his first sit-down interview since being appointed to the role on May 21.
He replaced Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, who had held the portfolio since 2018.
Married with two children, Prof Faishal was previously an associate professor at the National University of Singapore‘s Department of Real Estate, before becoming a political office-holder in 2012.
He said he received a warm reception from residents following his recent appointment.
“It is very heart-warming to see the responses from our community when they say that they want to cooperate with me and my colleagues to continue the effort to develop our community and our country,” he said.
“And more importantly, they feel that the Prime Minister listened to their concerns and aspirations regarding our community leadership.”
He thanked his predecessors – Mr Masagos and retired Cabinet minister Yaacob Ibrahim, who served as minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs from 2002 to 2018.
Prof Faishal said he had worked closely with both men, describing them as having the heart to serve the community and help it to progress.
It was also by working with both men that he saw the challenges associated with the role, as well as what needs to be done, he said.
“I know this is not an easy responsibility; some have told me they know it’s not easy, but they want to support this effort,” he added.
Prof Faishal joined politics in 2006 at the age of 38, as part of a six-member PAP team representing Marine Parade GRC.
Following the 2011 election, he became an MP for Nee Soon GRC, where he served for three terms.
During the 2025 General Election, he returned to the newly formed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC as part of a five-member PAP team, led by Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, which won the constituency uncontested.
In 2012, Prof Faishal became parliamentary secretary at the health and transport ministries. In 2017, he was promoted to senior parliamentary secretary in the education as well as social and family development ministries.
He subsequently became Minister of State for National Development and Home Affairs in 2020 and, following GE2025, was appointed Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs as well as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
While the community has progressed tremendously over the years, making strides in areas such as post-secondary education, there are still areas for improvement, Prof Faishal said.
These include working with government agencies to meet the needs of low-income families as well as addressing the drug problem in the community.
He also highlighted the need to have more Malay/Muslim children enrolled in pre-school education, adding that he would work with Mendaki chairman Zaqy Mohamad, who is also Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, and Defence, to address the issue.
Beyond the M3 framework, Prof Faishal said other Malay/Muslim organisations, as well as professional bodies and informal groups, can play a role in meeting the needs and aspirations of the community. M3 refers to a tie-up between self-help group Mendaki, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and the People’s Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council.
He added that he would like to see more ground-up initiatives, citing the example of Bersamamu – a programme that provides Muslim couples with mentoring from their solemnisers in their first two years of marriage.
He noted that Bersamamu was initiated by veteran religious teacher Pasuni Maulan and other solemnisers before it received the support of the Government.
“This is an example of how we can work together,” he said.
Asked how he would address views that differ from those of the authorities, Prof Faishal said the Government is “well-intentioned” and tries to meet all needs.
However, it has to take into account all viewpoints, he said, adding that some of the more complex issues may require more time to be addressed.
“There may be issues that are not easy, but we know that the Government’s intention is to help to solve these issues together.”
A long-time supporter of English football club Liverpool, Prof Faishal says the club’s motto You’ll Never Walk Alone – derived from Gerry and the Pacemakers’ 1963 song of the same name – can be applied to Singapore’s Malay/Muslim community.
The community will never walk alone as it has the support of its leaders and community organisations, he said.
“And I will also never walk alone, because I have the Malay/Muslim community and the people of Singapore with me to continue this effort,” he said.
- Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues.