SMU Assistant Professor of Law and NMP Eugene Tan commented that the Government had two considerations for the rarely-seen arrangement allowing MPs to debate a topic after a Minister speaks, which will take place following Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan’s speech on town councils next week,. Firstly, it was to pre-empt the Worker’s Party’s adjournment motions, and to show that the Government valued the MPs opinions and wanted to give everyone a chance to air their views on the issue. He also said that it would be noteworthy to see how the Government and the Opposition play the hands that they have been dealt. Since Sylvia Lim had already raised the adjournment motion for speaking time, the open debate may result in her speech being an “anti-climax”.