SMU Associate Professor of Law and political observer Eugene Tan said that now is a crucial juncture for labour relations and a successor must be found for Lim Swee Say. He was commenting on the appointment of four labour MPs, Ang Hin Kee, Patrick Tay, Yeo Guat Kwang and Zainal Sapari as NTUC's assistant secretaries-general. Associate Prof Tan added that the labour movement also needs to look further ahead and nurture its future leaders. He thinks that the move to appoint four assistant secretaries-general is part of the plan to nurture labour relations leaders. He said that the four men may not succeed Lim Swee Say, but in order to become successors in the next round of leadership renewal, they will need to build a more solid foundation and better understand labour relations matters.