A 38-year-old litigation lawyer has taken over the helm of the People's Action Party (PAP) branch in the Paya Lebar ward in Aljunied GRC.

Lawyer Alex Yeo was appointed branch chairman yesterday, filling the vacancy left by Mr Murali Pillai, who was elected MP for Bukit Batok in a by-election last May.

PAP MPs typically chair the PAP branches in their constituencies. The exceptions are Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC, which are held by the Workers' Party.

Mr Yeo, an associate director in law firm Niru & Co LLC, has been a grassroots leader since the first half of 2015.

He was previously the PAP branch secretary in Potong Pasir SMC, and vice-chairman of the constituency's Citizens Consultative Committee (CCC).

He started volunteering in Paya Lebar in January this year, when he was appointed vice-chairman of the ward's CCC. Mr Yeo is married and has a four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter.

His profile on the law firm's website said that he has a Bachelor of Arts (Merit) degree from the National University of Singapore and a law degree from the University of Sydney in New South Wales.

He was admitted to the Australian Bar after obtaining the law degree in 2007, and returned to Singapore in 2008, where he worked for two years at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He joined Global Law Alliance LLC, a law firm, in 2010 and was admitted to the Singapore Bar in 2012.

His profile states that he handles "a broad spectrum of litigation and international arbitration matters", including civil disputes relating to areas such as banking and finance, international trade, and building and construction.

Confirming his appointment yesterday, Mr Yeo told The Sunday Times: "I will definitely sit down with activists to see where the action spots are and see where to concentrate our efforts."

He added: "The demographics of Paya Lebar are quite similar to that in Potong Pasir - sizeable number of elderly residents, many of whom have stayed for 30 years."

Many residents are concerned about the economy, he noted.

Asked if he expects to be fielded at the next general election, he said: "That is not my prerogative, I will still be the same. My main objective is serving the residents."

Said Mr Murali of his successor: "Over the past few months, I had a chance to interact with Alex. He is capable and passionate about helping people."