It said the advertisement, of a rooster barking “wang” “wang”, was a technical error. But it did not say why or how the ministry had ended up using the wrong zodiac animal. This is the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Last year was the Year of the Rooster.
The ministry had taken out full-page advertisements conveying festive greetings in several newspapers yesterday.
However, the message accompanying the picture of a rooster read: “We welcome a prosperous year of the dog. We wholeheartedly wish people from all walks of life a happy lunar new year.”
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the ministry said: “KPDNKK would like to extend a million apologies for the publishing of the Chinese New Year advertisement. It is due to a technical error in the advertisement.
“Happy Chinese New Year for those who are celebrating and Happy Holidays to all Malaysians. Gong Xi Fa Cai!”
There has been some concern among Malaysians, especially the Chinese, over the omission of the dog from Chinese New Year decorations this year, especially at large malls.
Reporting on this, CNN said two days ago: “The omission has raised hackles in the Chinese community and caused concern among Malaysians of all faiths, who see it as yet another symptom of the country’s growing Islamic conservatism, driven by the government’s flirtation with hardline Islamist policies and a cultural shift by religious students returning from the Middle East.”