Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang has apologised following a handshaking incident.
A video that recently made its rounds on the internet shows her getting out of a car and being greeted by eight men, including one wearing a red shirt.
She shakes the hand of one man while being greeted by the others.
The man in the red shirt then helps her to close the car door before extending his hands for a handshake.
But Ms Gan shakes the hand of another man she was being introduced to before shaking the hand of the man in the red shirt and those of the others.
Speaking to The Straits Times on June 8, Ms Gan, who is the MP for Marymount SMC, said the incident happened on May 17.
She was attending the inaugural Peck San Theng Cultural Festival at Peck San Theng in Bishan.
The Cantonese cultural festival was organised by Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, a 155-year-old cultural institution managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations.
Ms Gan said it was her first visit to Peck San Theng, and she was overwhelmed by the group that went to greet her.
“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,” she said.
“I was also a little overwhelmed by the big group that received me when I got out of my car. I sincerely apologise to the man in the red shirt for the delay in shaking hands with him.”
The video has been making the rounds on social media, with one post on TikTok garnering more than 185,000 views just a day after it was posted on June 7.
Many netizens had commented that they felt Ms Gan’s actions were arrogant and disrespectful.
Ms Gan said she was thankful for the invite to the festival and the warm welcome, and that she has requested the organiser to convey her apologies to the man in the red shirt as she is currently overseas.
David Sun for The Straits Times
Gan Siow Huang apologises over handshake incident at Cantonese cultural festival
