Cabinet allows Timah whiskey to keep its name

The cabinet has agreed to allow Timah whiskey to maintain its name, said two ministers.

Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong along with Domestic Trade and Cooperatives Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi both said the manufacturer will be required to include an additional label on the whiskey bottle to explain that its name was in reference to “bijih timah” - the Bahasa Malaysia term for iron ores.

In a statement on his Chinese-language Facebook page today, Wee said the cabinet had resolved the controversy.

“In the recent few cabinet meetings, cabinet members discussed the latest developments of the Timah issue.

“I am glad that the incident has successfully been resolved in line with the Keluarga Malaysia spirit.

“Timah will not need to change its name. The manufacturer has agreed to include an explanation about the origins of the Timah (name). Timah’s original meaning refers to ‘bijih timah’ - which is related to tin mining,” he said.

Wee, who leads the Chinese-based party MCA, blamed Pakatan Harapan component party Amanah for using the Timah controversy to stoke racial and religious sentiments.

Manufacturer proposed solution

Wee also thanked Alexander for “cooperating” with him on the issue.

Meanwhile, the latter told Sin Chew Daily that the resolution was a proposal from Timah whiskey’s manufacturer Winepak Corporation Sdn Bhd.  

“I met with the alcohol manufacturer in question and discussed how to settle this issue.

“I then presented the company’s proposal to the cabinet, the cabinet agreed to it,” Alexander was quoted as saying.

He thus hoped the nomenclature controversy would cease.

“I have tried my best to resolve this issue,” he reportedly said.

The report did not note any cabinet decision on the Timah whiskey logo, which had also been a source of controversy for some.

This resolution comes after Winepak agreed to consult its shareholders and board of directors over whether to change the name and logo of its whiskey product.

Some politicians and conservative Muslim groups previously claimed that naming a bottle of alcohol “Timah” constituted an insult against Islam because it bore similarities to the name of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatimah.

They further purported that the logo on the whiskey bottle - a picture of bearded colonial officer Captain Tristram Speedy - “confused Muslims”.

This bizarre narrative made it to the Dewan Rakyat when it was brought up by PKR's Tangga Batu MP Rusnah Aluai.

She later apologised to those who took offence to her claim that drinking the whiskey was akin to “drinking a Malay woman”.

Following the outcry, up to four ministers plus the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) held a discussion with Winepak.

Opposition politicians, meanwhile, criticised the government for giving in to such rhetoric instead of other governance matters.

Two weeks ago, Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who hails from Islamist party PAS, caused a furore when he said that the cabinet had decided that products capable of causing “public distress” would not be allowed to be sold.

In response, Alexander played it down and said the cabinet had merely discussed a possible ban but did not make any final decisions. - Mkini