SMU Assistant Professor of Law Eugene Tan commented that while he did not exclude the possibility of the Workers’ Party taking the win, he did not expect that the margin would be so large. He said that, “It is a resounding victory for the WP. The outcome was something that no one could have expected.” He added that, “The WP ran a very tight campaign, very much focused on themes that they had campaigned on in GE 2011 as well as the Hougang by-election – the need for a strong opposition in Singapore’s Parliament to act as a check and balance… a need for an insurance plan to ensure that in the event that the PAP became inapt or corrupt, Singapore would not have to suffer severe consequences… That provided the WP with a lot of fire power.”