TIMAH Whisky explains 'controversial' name after call out by Consumer Association of Penang

share on

twitter /
facebook /
linkedin /
- email
- telegram
- whatsapp
- wechat
- pinterest
- line
- snapchat
- reddit

TIMAH Whisky has released a Facebook statement after the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) called on the government to ban the Malaysian-made whisky. CAP education officer N.V Subbarow has slammed relevant authorities for permitting the item to be sold in the country, said New Straits Times. According to the article, Subbarow said the brand name "Timah" insults the Muslim community as it resembles a Malay and Muslim name shortened from the name, "Fatimah". He also added aside from it containing alcohol, CAP could not understand "how such a brand name and image are allowed in the first place", which in his opinion, would trigger an uproar among the people, said the article.

TIMAH has responded to the allegations, clarifying that there has been some misinformation circulating online. According to TIMAH, the name is a local meaning for the word, "tin". In fact, the name of TIMAH Whisky harks back to the tin mining era during British Malaya. The man pictured on the bottle is "Captain Speedy", one of the men who introduced the whisky culture back then. Thus, leading to the name, "TIMAH". TIMAH has also addressed this issue saying that it was never their intention to stir controversy with its name.

After the release of the Facebook post, some netizens have shown support for the brand by reacting positively. According to the Facebook comments, users were commenting that it is, "a good name", "nice brand name" and personally saw "no issues with the brand name". A user has also posted a cheeky comment, stating that TIMAH should "thank them for the free advertising", while another commented that the "election must be near".

This is not the first time a brand has faced a clash of opinions of not being considerate to certain communities in the region. Just last month, foodpanda Malaysia came under fire with its recent Bollywood-inspired YouTube clip, "Pollywood". The music video which coped flak was created as a teaser for its campaign titled #TakkanTakTahu. However, the bite sized ad taken as a standalone ad by many was thought to be "poorly conceived", "stereotypical", and "not representative of Indian culture in general" by many netizens in Malaysia.

Most recently, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) also said it will be conducting a public consultation to review and revise its Content Code 2020. This includes opinions on restricting alcohol ads to certain mediums, influencer marketing, as well as paid-for space in news programmes.

According to CMCF, there were provisions prohibiting the advertisement of alcoholic drinks and liquor in Content Code 2020. To level the playing field with print and online advertisers, Content Code 2021 states that the ads on intoxicating liquor communicated over electronic mediums based in Malaysia shall be allowed.

However, the advertising of intoxicating liquor is subject to strict restrictions (with clear provisions governing age, prohibition for Muslims, responsible drinking messages) stipulated in the Content Code 2021. Although the ads shall be allowed over electronic mediums, TV and radio continue to be strictly prohibited from advertising intoxicating liquor, CMCF said in its public consultation paper.

First introduced by CMCF in 2004, the Content Code contains guidelines and procedures for governing standards and best practices for content dissemination within the communication and multimedia industry. According to CMCF, the Content Code 2021 will expand to cover all ads over the networked medium including those by online marketplace operators and influencers, which were not specifically addressed in Content Code 2020.

Join ourDigital Marketing Asia conference happening from 9 November 2021 - 25 November 2021 to learn about the upcoming trends and technologies in the world of digital. Check out the agenda here.

Power up your PR and communications efforts today with A+M's PR Asia Week on 1 and 2 December. Learn ways to build an evidence-based practice, up the ante on your strategies, and be head and shoulders above your competition. Click here to register today!