GEORGE TOWN: The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) has called on the government to ban a local brand liquor called 'Timah'.
Its advertisement gimmick is described as uncalled for by displaying a long bearded man with a skull cap resembling a religious person.
CAP education officer N.V. Subbarow slammed relevant authorities for permitting the item to be sold in the country.
"Aside from containing alcohol, CAP could not understand how such a brand name and image are allowed in the first place, which will trigger an uproar among the people.
"The brand name 'Timah' insults the Muslim community as it resembles a Malay and Muslim name shortened from the name 'Fatimah'.
"In fact, the name Timah itself is considered as continuous efforts in the history of Malaya to lead to the progress of national development in the early 20th century," he said in a statement today.
The Malaysian-made whisky is sold at RM190 per bottle containing 40 per cent alcohol.
With such a high alcohol ingredient, Subbarow feared its effect on consumers.
"We are calling for the government to come clean on the issue.
"We urge the relevant authorities to ban the product immediately," he said.
Based on @TIMAHWhiskeyOfficial via Facebook, it has come up with an explanation regarding the name Timah which was referring to the Malayan tin mining era during the British colonial days of Malaya.
Timah in Bahasa Melayu means "tin", a soft silvery-white metal ore, and Malaysia was once a major producer of tin.
It also explained that the man depicted on the whisky label was Captain Speedy, who introduced whisky culture back then.
"Due to this history, we use the name TIMAH. We do not intend for our name to stir controversy. Any interpretation of our name unrelating to Malaysian tin mining is false.
"TIMAH is meant to be enjoyed by non-Muslims above the legal alcohol purchasing age," it added.