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A viral TikTok video showing Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang appearing to overlook an elderly man's handshake has drawn mixed reactions online, prompting the minister to issue an explanation.
The 15-second clip, which has garnered over 214,000 views since being posted on June 7, captures the moment when Gan exits her vehicle at what appears to be a community event. An enthusiastic elderly gentleman in red closes her car door and immediately extends his hand - only for the minister to initially shake hands with another individual first.
Speaking to The Straits Times on Sunday (June 8), Gan clarified that the incident occurred during the Peck San Theng Cultural Festival in Bishan on May 17. "When I got out of the car, I was trying to identify the host of Peck San Theng and shake hands with the host first," explained Gan, who serves as MP for Marymount SMC.
The minister acknowledged feeling "a little overwhelmed by the big group" upon arrival at her first visit to Peck San Theng. She expressed regret over any unintended slight toward the gentleman in red while emphasizing her appreciation for organizers' warm welcome.
Online commentators have been divided in their responses - while some criticized what they perceived as discourtesy, others suggested it might have been an honest oversight during a busy public appearance. The video's comment section reveals heated discussions about public figures' social etiquette expectations versus realistic human interactions at crowded events.
AsiaOne understands that Peck San Theng representatives have been contacted for their perspective on this social media storm surrounding what was otherwise a successful cultural festival appearance by one of Singapore's political officeholders.
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