TIMAH whisky can keep its name, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said.

The matter was discussed by the cabinet with ministers agreeing that the name, which has been controversial for some Muslims, need not be changed, Wee said in a statement on Facebook.

“In a recent cabinet meeting, cabinet members also discussed the latest developments regarding the incident.

“I am gratified that in the spirit of the Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family), the incident has been successfully resolved.

“Timah does not need to change its name. Its manufacturer has explained in detail the origin of the name, Timah, which refers to Bijih Timah or tin, and is related to tin mining,” Wee said in a post written in Mandarin on his Chinese-language Facebook page.

He added that he had met with the whisky company’s board of directors and lawyers last Wednesday at his ministry “to understand the entire incident and the company’s position on the matter”.

Late in October, Winepak Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd was said to have agreed to changing the blended whisky’s name, according to Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.

This followed controversy after a core of PAS members accused the company of using the nickname of Fatimah, daughter of Prophet Muhammad.

The whisky has been on the market for a while now but the row only erupted after it was officially launched in early October.

Several quarters from the Muslim community voiced their opposition to the use of ‘Timah’ and lodged police reports as well, despite the company saying the name is a nod to Malaysia’s colonial past when tin was mined extensively.

PAS and other Muslim groups have also called it an attempt to deliberately confuse Muslims, for whom consumption of alcohol is prohibited.

However, Wee blamed opposition politicians from Pakatan Harapan for stirring the controversy.

He named Amanah’s Khalid Samad, Mahfuz Omar and former religious minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa as those responsible, saying it was PH that had initiated the uproar.

Wee also highlighted remarks by PKR’s Tangga Batu MP Rusnah Aluai, who said in Parliament that drinking Timah was like “drinking Malay women”. 

She later apologised, saying it was never her intention to offend anyone, while Wee said such comments from an MP were nothing short of nonsense. – November 13, 2021.