The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a 12-year cycle. This year, it is the turn of the pig.

“As far as I know, there is no instruction. Are pictures of pigs also haram?” Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad told FMT, when asked if the use of the animal is subject to restrictions due to its taboo nature among Malay Muslims.

A quick check by FMT of shopping malls in the Klang Valley found that the pig has been conspicuously absent from Chinese New Year decorations.

Dogs and pigs are considered unclean by Malaysia’s predominant Shafi’i Muslims, and authorities have in the past restricted their images in public including in popular culture.

The 1995 film “Babe”, whose titular character is a pig, was prohibited in cinemas while 2016 Hong Kong blockbuster film “The Monkey King 2” had its pig character removed from promotional material.

In 2016, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) refused to give its much sought-after halal certification to the Auntie Anne’s franchise over the use of the word “dog” on its menu. The company was instructed to rename its “Pretzel Dog” as “Pretzel Sausage”.

Last year, social media users questioned the sale of a T-shirt in a hypermarket which depicted the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac but with the images of the dog and pig replaced with Chinese characters.

Following a debate on the use of the characters in public, Jakim said it should not have become an issue in multi-religious Malaysia.

The department also urged Malaysians to respect each other’s cultures, including the use of objects considered haram in Islam.