PKR MP likens drinking Timah whiskey to 'drinking a Malay woman'

 

PARLIAMENT | A PKR lawmaker has likened drinking the controversial Timah brand whiskey to "drinking a Malay woman".

Rusnah Aluai (Pakatan Harapan-Tangga Batu) said the brand and the imagery used was too confusing and should be changed.

"Can't Timah be given a different brand name? The mines or something.

"It is not good for women, because Timah is imagined as a Malay woman, kak Timah, mak Timah, mak cik Timah, so when we drink the whiskey it is as though we are drinking a Malay woman," she said in the Dewan Rakyat today while interjecting in a debate amendments to the Trade Descriptions Act.

The Timah brand is named after the Malay word for tin ores, according to producer Winepak.

The label also features a photo of Captain Tristram Speedy, an English officer during the British colonisation of Malaya, who is seen sporting a thick beard and a skullcap.

Rusnah said the whiskey brand should use a different picture of speedy wearing a hat instead of a kopiah (skullcap).

The Timah whiskey brand has been a hot topic with conservatives claiming that it either confuses or insults the Malays and Muslims.

Khalid Samad (Harapan-Shah Alam), however, said the real issue is how this matter had been politicised.

He cited an example of linking the Timah whiskey brand name to the daughter of Prophet Muhammad - which he said was a fallacy.

"As far as I know, there is no religious lecture with an ustaz in any mosque or surau where the lady Fatimah (the prophet's daughter) is called Timah.

"No Muslim would call the lady Fatimah as Timah. But because of a desire to sensationalise this, to politicise this (then the link was made)," he told the Dewan Rakyat.

He added that if Harapan was currently in power, then the DAP would be accused of trying to attack Muslims and insult the prophet's daughter.

Khalid Samad (Harapan-Shah Alam)

It should be noted that the machinery of Khalid's party Amanah - had also likened Timah to Fatimah in an attempt to paint PAS as hypocrites.

Khalid lamented how Muslims in the country were always made to feel as though they were under attack.

"It is unfortunate that in our country, Muslims are put in an environment with a siege mentality.

"It is portrayed that the Muslims are under attack from the non-Muslims. That the non-Muslims have a plan to sabotage the Muslims and such.

"This is what makes many non-sensitive issues into sensitive ones," he said.

However, not everyone shared Khalid's opinion.

Hanipa Maidin (Harapan-Sepang) said while non-Muslims were allowed to drink alcohol, the Timah brand was rather confusing.

He asked how the government could have approved the brand for the Malaysian market and what measures could be taken to avoid such incidents. - Mkini