Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng (廣惠肇碧山亭), a historic Cantonese cultural institution in Singapore, released video footage on 13 June 2025 to address public criticism surrounding a delayed handshake involving Gan Siow Huang.
The incident took place on 17 May 2025, during the inaugural Peck San Theng Cultural Festival held in Bishan.
The festival marked the first of its kind by the 155-year-old institution, which comprises 16 Cantonese clan associations.
Gan, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry, was attending the event as a guest.
Footage clarifies sequence of greetings
In the video, Gan is seen arriving alone at the venue. She alights from her vehicle holding a mobile phone in her right hand, which she soon places into her right trouser pocket.
As she does so, several members of the cultural group approach to welcome her. Among them was 72-year-old Leong Chee Leng, a member of the Kong Chow Wui Koon lion dance troupe, which was scheduled to perform at the festival.
Leong is seen extending his hand to greet Gan, who is simultaneously approached by Edward Leong, chairman of the festival’s organising committee.
Gan first shakes hands with Edward Leong before turning to shake hands with Leong Chee Leng, followed by several others at the carpark.
Press conference held to address misunderstanding
The video was screened at a press conference on 13 June 2025 at Peck San Theng.
Speaking at the press conference, Leong Chee Leng confirmed that Gan did shake his hand and described her behaviour as courteous.
In Mandarin, he stated: “(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?”
He clarified that Gan had been momentarily distracted by her phone and the crowd but later greeted him properly.
Earlier on 8 June, Gan apologised over delayed handshake
In a statement to The Straits Times on 8 June, Gan addressed the social media backlash and issued a public apology.
“This was my first visit to Peck San Theng,” she said. “When I got out of the car, I was trying to identify the host and shake hands with the host first.”
She added, “I was a little overwhelmed by the big group that received me. I sincerely apologise to the man in the red shirt for the delay in shaking hands with him.”
Gan also said she had asked the event organisers to convey her apology to Leong.
Leong said that Gan later spoke to him during the event and apologised in person following the online criticism.
“We talked it out and everything is okay. I didn’t take the incident to heart,” Leong said.
He confirmed that he had no issue with the minister and that they had resolved the matter amicably.
Video originally uploaded as a memory of the event
The original video of the incident, filmed by a member of the lion dance troupe, was posted on Facebook as a casual record of the day’s activities.
However, the footage was later edited and widely circulated, focusing solely on the delayed handshake.
Edward Leong, president of the Singapore Poon Yue Association, criticised the online circulation of the edited clip.
“We are very disturbed and concerned that the uploaded videos (on social media) were with bad intentions,” he said.
Calls for rational discussion and unity
Dr Yee Wai Seng, vice-chairman of the festival’s organising committee, said Leong Chee Leng was not originally part of the official welcome party and had approached Gan out of excitement.
In Mandarin, Dr Yee urged the public to consider the incident calmly.
“We hope netizens can rationally think about this incident and not view this from a single-sided perspective, or embellish details and cause division,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can put this misunderstanding to rest and move forward.”
Online reactions remain mixed despite video clarification
Comments observed on The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao social media pages showed that netizens remained divided over the clarification issued by Peck San Theng.
Some users expressed confusion and scepticism, questioning why the association felt the need to speak up in defence of Gan.
One comment wrote in Mandarin: “Why are so many people rushing to explain this for her?”
Others focused on the perceived snub of Leong Chee Leng, criticising Gan for not acknowledging him immediately.
Comments included: “She put her phone away but still did not shake the elderly man’s hand first. No need to make excuses. She only looked upward.”
Another user remarked: “From this angle, it’s even clearer—she never looked him in the eye. Only after the elderly man reached out did she reluctantly shake his hand.”
Some criticism was also directed at the cultural group itself, with users questioning its event protocol.
One comment read: “Welcoming guests shouldn’t have been the old man’s job. The wrong person was in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing something unnecessary. If the organisers had been more thoughtful, this misunderstanding could’ve been avoided. I hope they learn from this to prevent wasting public attention again.”
Conversely, other users defended Gan, stating that her actions were misinterpreted.
One supporter observed that when MP Gan stepped out of the car, she politely thanked the elderly man for opening and closing the door, “MP Gan of course need to shake the person who invited her first mah.”
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