Who is Michael Palmer?

Who is Michael Palmer?

When he was nominated by PM Lee and subsequently appointed as the eighth Speaker of Parliament last year, he was the youngest, and also the first Eurasian, to hold the post since Singapore’s independence in 1965.

During the General Election (GE) last year, the media-dubbed “auntie-killer” went on to win the single-seat Punggol East constituency with 54.5 per cent of the votes, defeating candidates from the Workers’ Party and the Singapore Democratic Alliance.

Palmer, 44, was first elected an MP for the Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC in the 2006 GE.

As an MP, he had served as the chairman for the Government Parliamentary Committees for Foreign Affairs and Defence and Home Affairs and Law.

A lawyer by training, Palmer is also a partner at law firm Harry Elias Partnership.

Palmer is the only child of the late well-known radio and TV presenter Vernon Palmer.

He is married to Diane Palmer, 41, who is said to be an Oxford University graduate who quit her lawyer job to raise their son, now 10. They have been married for 16 years.