Hadi seemingly contradicts deputy on Timah whisky controversy

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has seemingly contradicted his deputy on the Timah whisky controversy, stating that the name of the liquor resembles that of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter.

(FMT) – “Whatever the reason given, the use of the name ‘Timah’ in the Malay language is close to the name of Fatimah al-Zahra, the beloved daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and this can be considered as touching on the sensitivities of Muslims,” he was quoted as saying in Harakah Daily.

On Tuesday, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that Timah means tin and is “not a Muslim name or even a person’s name”.

“The name Timah is not a Muslim name or a person’s name. It is a type of metal. Furthermore, the logo is a picture of a man. There is no man named Timah,” he was quoted as saying in Harakah Daily.

However, Tuan Ibrahim did say that the use of the word “Timah” as the brand name was “confusing”.

In today’s Harakah Daily report, Hadi also said that those in charge of Islamic affairs should  not allow any misuse of names that try to “confuse Muslims”.

The duo’s comments come in the wake of complaints about the name of the whisky produced by Malaysian distillery Winepak, which has won international awards over the past two years.

Certain quarters have taken offence at the whisky’s name, believing it to be a shortened version of the Arabic name Fatimah, while some claim that the image of a bearded man wearing headgear on the label is that of a man wearing the Muslim kopiah.

PAS Youth information chief Nazir Helmi had reportedly urged the government to close down the operations of the company producing the whisky.