Latest news with #LeongCheeLeng
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why a Singapore politician's missed handshake caused a stir: ‘optics matter'
The backlash faced by a Singapore minister of state after she was accused of snubbing a handshake from an elderly man at a cultural clan event has highlighted underlying post-election sensitivities and the expectations of Singaporeans on their highly paid politicians, observers say. The debate earlier this month centred on vitriol directed at Gan Siow Huang, minister of state for foreign affairs and trade and industry, after an online video circulated of her arriving at the venue and appearing to shun a man dressed in a cap and T-shirt despite shaking the hand of another more formally dressed member of the welcome party. The event was organised by Cantonese cultural organisation Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, which held a press conference last week to defend Gan and provide its own account of the incident, including from lion dance troupe member Leong Chee Leng, 72, the other subject of the video. Leong at the presser said Gan was polite to him. The initial backlash Gan faced showed the importance of optics following a recently concluded general election and the demands citizens have of their well-paid leaders to engage all Singaporeans, analysts told This Week in Asia. A video capture shows Minister of State Gan Siow Huang (second from right) shaking the hand of Leong Chee Leng of Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, a Cantonese cultural organisation in Singapore. Photo: Handout 'The Gan Siow Huang handshake incident may have seemed minor, but its rapid escalation into national conversation indicates that Singaporeans' expectations of politicians are evolving, shaped by both traditional values – such as respect and humility – and modern demands for authenticity and emotional intelligence,' said Nydia Ngiow, managing director at BowerGroupAsia.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cultural group releases own video to clear the air over Gan Siow Huang handshake incident
SINGAPORE – A cultural group has released footage to clear the air over a handshake incident that led to online criticism of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang. Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng said it had invited Ms Gan for a Cantonese cultural festival held at Peck San Theng in Bishan Lane on May 17. Representatives of the 155-year-old cultural institution, which is managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations, were waiting to greet her when she arrived alone. The footage shows her alighting from the car, with a mobile phone in her right hand. She then slips the phone into her rear right trousers pocket as representatives of the group approach her. Among those who extended their hand was Mr Leong Chee Leng. The 72-year-old is a member of the Kong Chow Wui Koon lion dance troupe, which was scheduled to perform at the Cantonese cultural festival. Mr Leong can be seen extending his hand to greet her, but Ms Gan is also approached by Mr Edward Leong, the chairman of the cultural festival's organising committee. After shaking hands with Mr Edward Leong, Ms Gan takes Mr Leong Chee Leng's hand, and then proceeds to shake the hands of several others gathered at the carpark. The footage was shown at a press conference held by the cultural institution on June 13 at Peck San Theng. Mr Leong Chee Leng, who was at the press conference, said he noticed that Ms Gan was momentarily distracted by her mobile phone and when somebody else approached her, but did eventually shake his hand. He said in Mandarin: '(Ms Gan) is really very polite. It's not like what you imagine from the video. Why do netizens want to attack me and the minister?' Ms Gan had on June 8 apologised after a video, shot by somebody in the lion dance troupe, made the rounds on social media. Ms Gan, who is the MP for Marymount SMC, told The Straits Times that 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.' Dr Yee Wai Seng, the vice-chairman of the festival's organising committee, said Mr Leong Chee Leng was not meant to be part of the group to welcome Ms Gan at the festival. He said Mr Leong Chee Leng had approached Ms Gan out of excitement. Mr Leong Chee Leng said Ms Gan had chatted with him during the event. He added that after the handshaking incident blew up online, she met him to apologise in person. 'We talked it out and everything is okay. I didn't take the incident to heart,' said Mr Leong. The member of the lion dance troupe who shot the video had uploaded it on Facebook as a record of the event, but did not know who later spliced and circulated the handshake portion. Mr Edward Leong, who is president of the Singapore Poon Yue Association, said: 'We are very disturbed and concerned that the uploaded videos (on social media) were with bad intentions.' Dr Yee added in Mandarin: 'We hope netizens can rationally think about this incident and not view this from a single-sided perspective, or embellish details and cause division. 'Hopefully, we can put this misunderstanding to rest and move forward.' Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
AsiaOne
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Cultural group releases own video to clear the air over Gan Siow Huang handshake incident , Singapore News
SINGAPORE — A cultural group has released footage to clear the air over a handshake incident that led to online criticism of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang. Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng said it had invited Gan for a Cantonese cultural festival held at Peck San Theng in Bishan Lane on Saturday (May 17). Representatives of the 155-year-old cultural institution, which is managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations, were waiting to greet her when she arrived alone. The footage shows her alighting from the car, with a mobile phone in her right hand. She then slips the phone into her rear right trousers pocket as representatives of the group approach her. Among those who extended their hand was Leong Chee Leng. The 72-year-old is a member of the Kong Chow Wui Koon lion dance troupe, which was scheduled to perform at the Cantonese cultural festival. Leong can be seen extending his hand to greet her, but Gan is also approached by Edward Leong, the chairman of the cultural festival's organising committee. After shaking hands with Edward Leong, Gan takes Leong Chee Leng's hand, and then proceeds to shake the hands of several others gathered at the carpark. The footage was shown at a press conference held by the cultural institution on June 13 at Peck San Theng. Leong Chee Leng, who was at the press conference, said he noticed that Gan was momentarily distracted by her mobile phone and when somebody else approached her, but did eventually shake his hand. He said in Mandarin: '(Gan) is really very polite. It's not like what you imagine from the video. Why do netizens want to attack me and the minister?' Gan had on June 8 apologised after a video, shot by somebody in the lion dance troupe, made the rounds on social media. Gan, who is the MP for Marymount SMC, told The Straits Times that 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.' Dr Yee Wai Seng, the vice-chairman of the festival's organising committee, said Leong Chee Leng was not meant to be part of the group to welcome Gan at the festival. He said Leong Chee Leng had approached Gan out of excitement. Leong Chee Leng said Gan had chatted with him during the event. He added that after the handshaking incident blew up online, she met him to apologise in person. 'We talked it out and everything is okay. I didn't take the incident to heart,' said Leong. The member of the lion dance troupe who shot the video had uploaded it on Facebook as a record of the event, but did not know who later spliced and circulated the handshake portion. Edward Leong, who is president of the Singapore Poon Yue Association, said: 'We are very disturbed and concerned that the uploaded videos (on social media) were with bad intentions.' Dr Yee added in Mandarin: 'We hope netizens can rationally think about this incident and not view this from a single-sided perspective, or embellish details and cause division. 'Hopefully, we can put this misunderstanding to rest and move forward.' [[nid:718868]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Cultural group releases their own video to clear the air over handshake incident
Cultural group releases their own video to clear the air over handshake incident SINGAPORE - A cultural group has released footage to clear the air over a handshake incident that led to criticism online of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang. Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng said they had invited Ms Gan for a Cantonese cultural festival held at Peck San Theng in Bishan Lane on May 17. Representatives of the 155-year-old cultural institution, which is managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations, were waiting to greet her when she arrived alone. The footage shows her alighting from the car, with a mobile phone in her right hand. She then slips the phone into her rear right trousers pocket as representatives of the group approach her. Among those who extended their hand was Mr Leong Chee Leng. The 72-year-old is a member of the Kong Chow Wui Koon lion dance troupe, which was scheduled to perform at the Cantonese cultural festival. Mr Leong Chee Leng can be seen extending his hand to greet her, but Ms Gan is also approached by Mr Edward Leong, the chairman of the cultural festival 's organising committee. After shaking hands with Mr Edward Leong, Ms Gan takes Mr Leong Chee Leng 's hand, and then proceeds to shake the hands of several others gathered at the carpark. The footage was shown at a press conference held by the cultural institution on June 13 at Peck San Theng. Mr Leong Chee Leng , who was at the press conference, said he noticed that Ms Gan was momentarily distracted by her mobile phone and when somebody else approached her, but did eventually shake his hand. He said in Mandarin: '(Ms Gan) is really very polite. It's not like what you imagine from the video. Why do netizens want to attack me and the minister?' Ms Gan had on June 8 apologised after a video, shot by somebody in the lion dance troupe, made the rounds on social media. Ms Gan, who is the MP for Marymount SMC, told The Straits Times that 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.' Dr Yee Wai Seng, the vice-chairman of the festival's organising committee, said Mr Leong Chee Leng was not meant to be part of the group to welcome Ms Gan at the festival. He said Mr Leong Chee Leng had approached Ms Gan out of excitement. Mr Leong Chee Leng said Ms Gan had chatted with him during the event. He added that after the handshaking incident blew up online, she met him to apologise in person. 'We talked it out and everything is okay. I didn't take the incident to heart,' said Mr Leong. The member of the lion dance troupe who shot the video had uploaded it on Facebook as a record of the event, but did not know who later spliced and circulated the handshake portion. Mr Edward Leong, who is president of the Singapore Poon Yue Association, said: 'We are very disturbed and concerned that the uploaded videos (on social media) were with bad intentions.' Dr Yee added in Mandarin: 'We hope netizens can rationally think about this incident and not view this from a single-sided perspective, or embellish details and cause division. 'Hopefully, we can put this misunderstanding to rest and move forward.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Cultural group releases own video to clear the air over Gan Siow Huang handshake incident
Screengrabs from a video showing Mr Leong Chee Leng (in red) extending his hand to greet Minister of State Gan Siow Huang. Cultural group releases own video to clear the air over Gan Siow Huang handshake incident SINGAPORE - A cultural group has released footage to clear the air over a handshake incident that led to criticism online of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang. Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng said they had invited Ms Gan for a Cantonese cultural festival held at Peck San Theng in Bishan Lane on May 17. Representatives of the 155-year-old cultural institution, which is managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations, were waiting to greet her when she arrived alone. The footage shows her alighting from the car, with a mobile phone in her right hand. She then slips the phone into her rear right trousers pocket as representatives of the group approach her. Among those who extended their hand was Mr Leong Chee Leng. The 72-year-old is a member of the Kong Chow Wui Koon lion dance troupe, which was scheduled to perform at the Cantonese cultural festival. Mr Leong Chee Leng can be seen extending his hand to greet her, but Ms Gan is also approached by Mr Edward Leong, the chairman of the cultural festival 's organising committee. After shaking hands with Mr Edward Leong, Ms Gan takes Mr Leong Chee Leng 's hand, and then proceeds to shake the hands of several others gathered at the carpark. The footage was shown at a press conference held by the cultural institution on June 13 at Peck San Theng. Mr Leong Chee Leng , who was at the press conference, said he noticed that Ms Gan was momentarily distracted by her mobile phone and when somebody else approached her, but did eventually shake his hand. He said in Mandarin: '(Ms Gan) is really very polite. It's not like what you imagine from the video. Why do netizens want to attack me and the minister?' Ms Gan had on June 8 apologised after a video, shot by somebody in the lion dance troupe, made the rounds on social media. Ms Gan, who is the MP for Marymount SMC, told The Straits Times that it was her first visit to Peck San Theng, and she was overwhelmed by the group that went to greet her. Mr Leong Chee Leng (right) defended Minister Gan Siow Huang, saying she was momentarily distracted but shook his hand afterwards. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY '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.' Dr Yee Wai Seng, the vice-chairman of the festival's organising committee, said Mr Leong Chee Leng was not meant to be part of the group to welcome Ms Gan at the festival. He said Mr Leong Chee Leng had approached Ms Gan out of excitement. Mr Leong Chee Leng said Ms Gan had chatted with him during the event. He added that after the handshaking incident blew up online, she met him to apologise in person. 'We talked it out and everything is okay. I didn't take the incident to heart,' said Mr Leong. The member of the lion dance troupe who shot the video had uploaded it on Facebook as a record of the event, but did not know who later spliced and circulated the handshake portion. Mr Edward Leong, who is president of the Singapore Poon Yue Association, said: 'We are very disturbed and concerned that the uploaded videos (on social media) were with bad intentions.' Dr Yee added in Mandarin: 'We hope netizens can rationally think about this incident and not view this from a single-sided perspective, or embellish details and cause division. 'Hopefully, we can put this misunderstanding to rest and move forward.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
