Complaints started circulating on social media about its name, Timah, which some construed to be a contraction of Fatimah, daughter of Prophet Muhammad.
Objections were also made about the label’s imagery, of colonial-era police chief and administrator Tristram Speedy, known as Captain Speedy.
The social media comments led to the Consumers’ Association of Penang calling for a ban on its production, saying the use of the name Timah, which means tin in Malay, was offensive to Muslims.
Others, including Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor and religious affairs minister Idris Ahmad, also chimed in.
Wan Salim suggested that the name of the whisky be changed to “Captain Speedy” instead, while Idris said he had lodged a complaint with the domestic trade and consumer affairs and home ministries.
Critics who took issue with the image of Captain Speedy, depicted as a bearded man with cloth headgear, claimed it resembled the visage of a devout Muslim wearing a skullcap, or kopiah.
Here are some facts about the “controversy”.
The whisky
Timah is a double peated blended whisky, says the manufacturer, Puchong-based Winepak Corporation. It contains about 40% alcohol, the same level as most spirits such as whisky, gin, and vodka, and retails at RM190 a bottle and is sold online and at selected retailers.
The awards
Timah was awarded silver medals at two international competitions held in San Francisco in August last year and a gold medal at another competition this year. Judges described the spirit as “outstanding”, displaying “refinement, finesse and complexity”.
The name
The manufacturers say Timah, the Malay word for tin, honours the role the metal played in the country’s development, when Malaya was the world’s largest tin producer. Gang wars over tin in Larut, site of some of the earliest tin mines, led to the intervention of Capt Speedy.
Timah’s detractors say it is a contraction of Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter. However, the Timah website contains no reference to her or to religion.
The man
Tristam Speedy, an explorer and adventurer was the first superintendent of police in Penang in 1871. Two years later he was invited by the Perak mentri, Ngah Ibrahim, to help quell gang warfare in Larut over tin revenue and was later appointed Assistant Resident (colonial administrator). Timah’s manufacturers say Capt Speedy introduced whisky drinking to Malayan society.
The image
An image of a bearded Capt Speedy appears on the label of the bottle, which appears to date from 1868 when he was photographed wearing Ethiopian royal or noble garb. He had been engaged by the Ethiopian emperor to train his army, and later became guardian to the emperor’s son.
The “controversy”
CAP claimed that Timah as a contraction of Fatimah, was offensive to Muslims by being used for an alcoholic drink which Muslims are forbidden from consuming. CAP also claimed that the image of a bearded Capt Speedy resembled that of a devout Muslim, usually bearded, and that Speedy’s cloth headgear resembled a Muslim skullcap, or kopiah.
The reaction
Facebook users have commented rather positively, with several individuals saying they saw “no issues with the brand name”. One had also said that “elections must be near”. Some derided Timah’s critics for ignorance about history and for stretching credulity with their contrived explanations.
Salib and Sahib
Following in CAP’s footsteps, criminologist Shamsher Singh Thind suggested that Malaysian-made Sahip brandy should be banned for its similarity to the word “sahib” commonly used in India to mean “sir” or “master” but also used by Sikhs as an honorific suffix for names of saints and gurus. Sikhs are teetotalers. Shamser also said all alcoholic drinks should be banned.