Woman says she was wrongly linked to the resignation of former acting minister Faishal Ibrahim
A woman has refuted allegations linking her to the resignation of Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim, the former Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
In an Instagram post on Monday (27 July), fitness trainer Rasidah Caudal said she was wrongfully accused as the woman who had inappropriate interactions with Prof Faishal, leading to his resignation on 20 July.
Source: @rasidah.piloxing on Instagram
Woman met Faishal only twice, during community events
In her post, Ms Caudal shared a screenshot of her photo along with a message that claimed she “caused MP Faishal to resign”.
She categorically rejected these accusations in her caption, saying that her only contact with Prof Faishal was during two fitness events at Kampung Ubi Community Centre (CC) organised by the Kembangan CC Women’s Executive Committee (WEC).
The first was a full Piloxing SSP masterclass that he attended, which was part of an International Women’s Day event.
Source: Rasidah Caudal on Facebook
The second was a Racial Harmony Day event at Kampung Ubi CC on 12 July.
Source: @piloxingsingapore on Instagram
Woman threatens to take legal action
Ms Caudal told the rumourmongers to stop posting and commenting on these false accusations, saying:
May the people sharing these unsubstantiated rumours at least have the backbone to supplement them with proof.
She also reminded them that the propagation of falsehoods is punishable under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
Threatening to take legal action against those who spread false rumours, she noted:
Commenting and posting under a pseudonym doesn’t make you invisible, nor does it make you immune to the full extent of the law.
She urges public to stop hunting down woman involved
Commenting on Prof Faishal’s resignation, Ms Caudal felt that the accusations were seemingly a “search for solutions to a scandal without answers”.
While she understood the sentiment, she urged the public to refrain from hunting down the woman in question or her family, adding:
Resorting to playground chatter and false accusations, which mind you have real-life consequences on people’s lives, contrary to what social media may make you believe, is extremely low.
She concluded with an appeal to netizens to help her stop the false accusations.
Zaqy Mohamad urges people not to cause ‘pain’ to others
After Ms Caudal posted, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad, who took over Faishal’s post, came out in support of her.
In a Facebook post on Monday, he acknowledged that many were still coming to terms with the recent events but they “should not cause the same pain to others”, saying:
No innocent person, especially a woman, should have to endure such harassment because of unfounded speculation.
Source: @zaqym on Instagram
Turning to Prof Faishal, he said the former minister had served the community with sincerity and dedication over many years and hoped they would “continue to accord them the privacy, compassion and respect they deserve”.
Mr Zaqy, who is also Senior Minister of State for Defence, also reminded the community to be careful with their words and responsible with what they share, adding:
Before passing on a claim, let us pause, verify the facts and remember that a few clicks online can cause deep hurt to innocent people.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @rasidah.piloxing on Instagram and Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim on Facebook.
