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Look at PE poll in perspective: WP's Low Thia Khiang

Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang cautioned the public against reading too much into opposition group's election victory in Punggol East.

"We can't take the by-election result as one that is going to be a trend in the future," Low told reporters Sunday before going on a parade to thank voters for giving party candidate Lee Li Lian a decisive win at the polls on Saturday.

Lee garnered 54.5 per cent of the votes cast whereas the ruling People's Action Party's candidate got 43 per cent. Two other opposition candidates got less than 2 per cent of the votes combined.

"I think you have to look at the Punggol East results in perspective. People in Punggol East had no worries about accidentally throwing out the government," he pointed out.

Low, who during the campaign asked that residents vote for WP to give the PAP a wake-up "slap", said voters were willing to give the WP the mandate to make sure the PAP did its job,

He noted that the government has started to review policies but that the changes need time to take effect.

WP's role, he said, based on the message of voters, was to act as a check and balance to the government.