After Timah ruckus, govt agrees to ban brand names that cause racial, religious offence

Mohd Farhan Darwis Mohd Farhan Darwis Updated 2 years ago · Published on 30 Oct 2021 2:29PM · 5 Comments

After the controversy surrounding the Timah whiskey, the government is agreeing to ban brand names of products that can be offensive to any race and religion. – Facebook pic, October 30, 2021.

BRAND names of products that can cause offence to any race and religion can be banned, a federal minister from PAS, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, said today.

He said the cabinet agreed to this following controversy over Timah whiskey, a Malaysian-made and award-winning blended whiskey whose makers have been accused of confusing Muslims with the name.

“We had a meeting with the relevant ministries and the company to voice our objections (to Timah),” he said.

“The cabinet has made a decision that no manufacturer will be allowed to produce anything that can cause unrest, especially in the context of race and religion,” Tuan Ibrahim, who is PAS deputy president, said at the PAS Youth muktamar or general assembly in Port Dickson today.

He is also environment and water minister.

PAS supporters on social media began questioning the whiskey’s name a few weeks ago, accusing non-Muslims of deliberately confusing Muslims because “Timah” sounded like the short-form for “Fatimah”, the name of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.

PAS’ protest gained traction among other Muslims and groups, with some saying the mascot of the whiskey closely resembled a Muslim man because of his long beard and skullcap.

Timah’s makers Winepark Corporation Sdn Bhd have agreed to consider changing the whiskey’s name, and are taking a week to discuss the matter with shareholders and its board, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said earlier this week.

The company had earlier explained that the man on label is Tristam Speedy or “Captain Speedy”, who was assistant British resident of Perak in the 1800s. His wearing of a skullcap and ethnic garb in the label is because he was also an explorer.

The company had also said the name Timah means “tin” and is a nod to the tin-mining boom in Perak when Malaya was ruled by the British.

These explanations are also on the Timah whiskey website. The whiskey has won a few international awards last year and this year, and has been on the market even before the recent controversy, which was only stirred after Timah was officially launched in an online event on October 7. – October 30, 2021.

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Comments

  • If the word 'Rosmah' is found to be offensive, will it be banned too?

    Posted 2 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • Dumber than dumb! What a bunch of bloody bigots and morons.

    Posted 2 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • If I am walking on Jalan Timah then can I be considered to be walking on a Malay woman or even on the Prophet's daughter. And if I climb bukit Timah then can I be thought to be climbing on a Malay woman or even the Prophet's daughter? How about Bijih Timah? What does this mean where malay women are considered? How about Ramly's burger.... Am I eating a Malay man when I eat such a burger? Stupid and unscrupulous Malay politicians who have no conscience but happily continue to sow religious and racial unrest amongst the rakyat

    Posted 2 years ago by Jeevaraj Nadarajah · Reply

  • Letting convicted politician criminals run around the country and flaunt their wealth and also run their foul mouth is more offensive to all Malaysians regardless of race than any brand or the word that literally means tin. Please stop this stupidity and put the dirty crooks in jail first.

    Posted 2 years ago by Loyal Malaysian · Reply

  • wHAT about place names that can distort history? Just look at how one spelling change can make these place names into Malaysian time bombs of TIMAH level.. Kedah, Sik, Gurun, and Sg. Petani are very close to Urdu and Penjabi words which may make people distort history. Even BLuFF road near KL Railway station near British Council is one example of this.

    Posted 2 years ago by Citizen Pencen · Reply