Another Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh also expressed surprise at the turn of events. Mr Gan worked closely with Mr Palmer as their divisions were next to each other.
He said Mr Palmer had not been behaving unusually recently, and had always seemed to be “a very nice person, a caring MP and Speaker of the House.”
He said: “We want to assure all residents that we will do our best to make sure there is no drop in the service level.”
Asked if he thought the incident will affect the public’s confidence in the PAP, Mr Gan said no.
“Voters know we are working hard to serve them. This is an isolated incident... Mike made a quick decision, he felt he needed to be accountable for his actions, and he left. So people know that the PAP is a party that emphasises on values,” he said.
He added that internally, party members “will continue having faith in the party, knowing we have high standards”.