Michael Palmer (Singapore politician)

Michael Anthony Palmer
Born	14 July 1968 Singapore
Occupation	Politician
Political party	People's Action Party (2006-2013)

Michael Anthony Palmer is a Singaporean lawyer and former politician who served as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 2011 and 2012. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Punggol East ward of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC between 2006 and 2011, and Punggol East SMC between 2011 and 2012.

Controversy

Extramarital affair scandal

Palmer resigned his politician role and party membership on 12 December 2012 due to extramarital affair scandal with Laura Ong Hui Hoon, Constituency Director of the People's Association (PA) office in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC. And Ong had reportedly resigned her career position in People's Association as well.

The scandal first reached the public's consciousness when an anonymous source leaked screengrabs of messages and emails from Ong’s smartphone to The New Paper, a Singapore news media, on 8 December 2012.

The leaked intimate messages between Palmer and Ong are included:

“Hello darling I hope you’re having a good massage…I love you and miss you loads. XOXO.”

“every time we meet on monday, the kisses are lesser…the time we spend getting intimate is also lesser.”

Their extramarital affair relationship had been reportedly last for one year.

Impact

The PAP subsequently lost the by-elections in Punggol East SMC in January 2013 when Lee Li Lian of the Workers' Party—who Palmer had defeated in the 2011 general election, won the seat, defeating the PAP candidate Koh Poh Koon.