[Tee tiong huat]

A clip taken during his walkabout of Marine Parade last Saturday (March 22) has been taken out of context, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said on Sunday, Minister Tong, who is also an MP for Marine Parade GRC, was at a walkabout where he interacted with residents at a coffee shop in Marine Terrace, part of the new Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.

Facebook user Kent Lau later posted an edited video of Tong's interactions, wherein he appears to be speaking animatedly to a group of elderly men. However, one of them raises a hand, purportedly pointing his middle finger as video is slowed down. The video then cuts to a volunteer speaking to Minister Tong, where the former can be seen pointing at the camera with a serious look on his face.

Speaking with the media on Sunday, Tong said that the reception he received at the walkabout was warm and that the video was being used by some sites to place him in a negative light. "I think it is obvious (that it was) to push an agenda, I think, quite clearly for a political objective," said Tong. He also pointed out that Lau, who uploaded the original video, had clarified that his content had been taken out of context.