Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

By now everyone on the planet with access to the Internet is likely to have seen "Shark Tale" star Will Smith smack "Madagascar" star Chris Rock in the mouth at the 94th Academy Awards (aka the Oscars).

There have been many takes on the incident and there will be many more.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing has also weighed in, with a twist.

Unkind act is a reflection of one's insecurity

Commenting in a Facebook post on March 29, a day after the incident (Singapore time), Chan used Slapgate as a "teachable moment" in the best way to respond to bullying or insults.

Chan added that young children often ask him what they should do in such situations, and said, "It surely hurts. There is often the temptation to retaliate."

However, he said that another child had a "good response".

"Always remind ourselves that if one needs to make fun of others to feel good about themselves, then that unkind act itself is a reflection of the perpetrator’s insecurity and lack of confidence, rather than any inadequacies on the part of the victim."

He added that by not allowing themselves to be victimised and saddened by unkind words and deeds, they would counter the culprit's attempt to "create misery" in others for their own purposes.

You can see his post below:

S'poreans weigh in, Smith apologises

Chan's post generated a good debate on the matter, with some decrying Smith's actions and others saying Rock was to blame for starting the name-calling, and still others saying both were at fault.

Following the incident, Rock declined to press charges against Smith.

Smith did not apologise to Rock in his Academy Award acceptance speech a mere 20 minutes after the slap, but he released a statement the next day (Singapore time) that included an apology to Rock.

Top image from Chan Chun Sing's Facebook and Magolo Fortune on Twitter.

Follow and listen to our podcast here