SMU Assistant Professor of Law Eugene Tan commented that residents of Punggol East voted for Lee Li Lian mostly because of the Workers’ Party (WP) ‘brand’, however, they must have also felt that Lee was capable. He added that the four-cornered battle was beneficial to WP as it made voters more conscious of the opposition party they were voting for. Low Thia Khiang also helped Lee Li Lian win votes, as he is a strong political figure. Assistant Prof Tan also said that while WP most likely did not expect to win with such a large margin, it showed that WP’s comments on the need for political competition resonated with voters.