PM Lee to carefully consider by-election in Punggol East

On the possible by-election in Punggol East SMC, SMU Assistant Professor of Law and NMP Eugene Tan commented that a likely window would be late next year. However, he said that there was no rush to hold a by-election, as the constituency belonged to the PAP, and that Teo Ser Luck had already been assigned to take care of it. Furthermore, the national conversation would take some time to conclude, and the High Court had already ruled that PM Lee had the discretion to decide if and when a by-election would be held. The Prime Minister had already announced that an election would not be held in the short-term, so as to moderate the public’s expectations and to avoid setting a precedent of calling for a by-election every time a constituency seat is left vacant, said Assistant Prof Tan. He also commented that the by-election would likely be a two-horse race, and that Michael Palmer’s resignation would naturally have an impact on it.