Winepak Corporation director Kenny Yeo confirmed that the licence had been issued and production had started with a new label expected to be finalised soon.

“The new stock with the new label is expected to hit licensed outlets in a few weeks. We have run out of stock at the moment. We wish to thank the government, media and certain politicians who were with us during the controversy,” he told FMT.

The Timah name and Captain Tristram Speedy’s image on the bottle had been the subject of much controversy since October.

Muslim groups, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), and some politicians previously claimed the name was tantamount to insulting Islam because it bore similarities to the name of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, Fatimah.

They also said the image on the label, of a bearded man wearing what looked like a skull cap, could “confuse Muslims”.

Winepak had clarified that the drink was named after the Malay word for tin, while the man on the label was Speedy, an explorer and adventurer who was the first superintendent of police in Penang in 1871. He was also said to have introduced the whisky culture to Malaysia.

Following the outcry, up to four ministers and the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) held discussions with Winepak.

On Nov 13, the government decided that the manufacturer could keep the name of its brand on the condition that it agreed to include an explanation on the label that the brand name “Timah” was a reference to tin ore.

Meanwhile, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, who was in the forefront fighting for Timah’s cause, said she welcomed the issuance of the licence which meant the saga had finally ended.

“Let’s hope we can avoid such public outcry in future controversies of this nature by meeting the relevant people first. This could have been easily avoided if certain parties did not take advantage to score political points,” she said.