In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan noted that 2016 will probably be remembered as the year of the populist revolt against the elites, against the backdrop of bewildering disruptions and an abiding sense of displacement and control accentuated by technological advancements. He highlighted that the critical challenge is to bring trust back into the core of the relationship between those in power and the masses, adding that governments need to purposively deal with people's resentments, fury and fears.