With regard to People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Koh Poh Koon’s defeat in the Punggol East by-election, SMU Assistant Professor of Law Eugene Tan said that observing how the PAP responds would be more interesting: “Will it give in to appeasement politics?”. He also noted that while the PAP had done quite a bit to tackle challenges since the last GE, Punggol East voters obviously felt its efforts were not enough. “The ruling party’s concern will be to make sure that, by hook or crook, the decline (in vote share and support) doesn’t spread across the island before the next GE. It remains to be seen if the PAP will engage in more populists moves as that would go against what it believes in,” he said.