PETALING JAYA: The storm over the home-grown Timah whiskey has ended on a peaceful note with the manufacturer allowed to keep the name, thus ending attempts by those who wanted to stir up the issue, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said he was glad that there had been a good outcome and that a name change was not necessary. The Cabinet, he said, had discussed the latest development on the issue during its recent meeting.
“I am delighted that in the spirit of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family), the issue has been successfully resolved.
“Timah does not need to be renamed and the manufacturer has agreed to provide more explanation on the origin of Timah in an additional label that Timah’s original meaning refers to bijih timah, which is related to tin ore and mining,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
Dr Wee also noted that he had met with the whiskey maker – the company’s representatives and its legal team – to understand the entire issue, as well as the company’s latest stance.
Yesterday, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the Cabinet had agreed to allow Timah whiskey to maintain its name.
However, he said the manufacturer would be required to include an additional label on the whiskey bottle to explain that its name is in reference to “bijih timah”, which means tin ore in Bahasa Malaysia.
Dr Wee thanked Nanta for his cooperation, as it had thwarted the intention of Parti Amanah Negara of Pakatan Harapan to play the religious and racial card.
“The name of the home-grown whiskey ‘Timah’ was unfortunately misinterpreted by politicians, causing an uproar.
“Apparently, it was Amanah who first started the whole issue,” he said, citing several Amanah leaders who had made provocative remarks before other politicians joined in the chorus.
“In Parliament, the Tangga Batu MP from PKR even said that ‘drinking Timah whiskey is like drinking a Malay woman’, which is nothing short of nonsense, causing calls for the government and the spirit maker to change the name,” he said.
