Party chief Low Thia Khiang said on Sunday that people should not read too much into the Punggol East by-election results.

"You can't take the by-election result as one that is going to be the trend in the future," he told reporters before the WP went on a thank you parade with new MP elect Lee Li Lian, who won with 54.5 per cent of the vote.

"It is a by-election, it is not a general election," said Mr Low, adding that voters did not have to worry that the Government would be voted out.

Mr Low said this was why he had taken pains to stress to voters the role the WP is able to play at this stage in its development. The party is "not ready" to form an alternative government and come up with a full set of alternative policies yet, he said.

What the WP can and will do is to point out problems in existing policies and offer policy suggestions, said Mr Low. He believes Singapore has a "competent government" but it can do better and "tilt" policy directions, such as in alleviating cost of living pressures on Singaporeans.

"We want to see life improve and we want to see a better Singapore," said Mr Low, who has said several times in the campaign that the WP will work with the Government while acting as a check and balance. However, he hopes the People's Action Party will look at the bigger picture and not spend time trying to "fix the WP" as it is not productive.