The ministry said the claim, which circulated on several Facebook pages, appeared to be an attempt to create a negative perception over the use of stemmed glasses for a beverage called “Cucumber Apple Slider” during the ministry’s excellence awards ceremony on Nov 8.

“The ‘Cucumber Apple Slider’ served to guests was a carbonated soft drink and contained no alcohol,” it said in a statement on Facebook yesterday.

“The drink was served in stemmed glasses in line with standard catering practices commonly used during protocol events.”

The ministry said it viewed the spread of inaccurate and misleading information seriously, as it could harm both its image as well as the reputation of its guests.

“In this regard, the ministry has filed a report with MCMC over the allegation that was circulated for further investigation,” it said.

“The public is advised to refer to the ministry first and not make any speculation without verification.”

Some TikTok and Facebook users have shared clips showing the minister, Nga Kor Ming, greeting guests at the dinner, pointing out a waiter serving drinks in stemmed glasses in the background.