IF there’s one thing that most Malaysians can agree on, it’s acknowledging that we had no prior knowledge of the Timah brand whiskey until it became a controversy.

The politicians responsible for creating this fuss seem to have realised their mission because the government has finally intervened and insisted the manufacturer change the name.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the company had agreed to consider the change following discussions with the government.

Well, what can a business do when forced to face senior level officials with ministerial backing, except to give in no matter how bitter the pill.

It can change its local name and keep its foreign labels, or move to either Indonesia or Singapore, which will be too disruptive and costly. Incidentally, Indonesia, the world’s most Muslim populous country, has been making its Bintang brand beer since 1929.

Even the ministry’s Deputy Minister, Datuk Rosol Wahid, reportedly agreed it was a non-issue when replying on the matter in Parliament, along with Pengerang MP Datuk Azalina Othman Said.

“Long ago, when we were young, there were the A&W hot dogs and coney dogs. My child loves to eat hot dogs, so do I tell her not to eat anjing panas (hot dog)?”

That precisely happened in 2016 when Auntie Anne, the Malaysian chapter of the US pretzel chain, had to drop “pretzel dog” – it’s famous hot dog – following pressure from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), for it to receive its halal certification.

Does that mean that soon, we would also have to ban or rename root beer because we don’t want to be confused?

That’s exactly the point. The key word is “long ago” because inexplicable and seemingly intolerant actions have seeped into our country’s policies and decisions over the years.

The government, probably because of political and religious expediency, has given in to these powerful individuals and groups, who are probably now holding key posts in our institutions, so that they can exert their influence effectively.

Now that PAS is in government, it would pursue its dogmatic ambition while its rival, Amanah, would become noisier to be seen as the champion.

In fact, political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat suggested that it was Amanah/Pakatan Harapan operators who are attempting to weaken PAS by accusing the Islamist party of compromising its previous stands on many issues.

Dr Wong may be right. Now, Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusuf Rawa has reportedly proposed a policy to restrict the involvement of Muslims in the manufacturing or sale of alcoholic drinks, but a union representing hotel, bar and restaurant workers immediately rejected the “liquor policy” with its secretary-general Rosli Affandi saying most workers in the food industry were Malays.

He said their livelihood would be affected, especially with the current Covid-19 situation, and their jobs taken over by foreigners.

Rosli said at present, Muslims were just doing their jobs and not consuming alcohol while at it.

Similarly, Malaysia Airlines’ cabin crew, including Muslims, have been serving liquor to first and business class passengers since its inception.

Malaysia may be predominantly Muslim, but it remains a plural society and a moderate country. Malaysia is not Saudi Arabia, Iran or Afghanistan, and we must all play our part in ensuring it remains the Malaysia we know and want.

All of us must speak up, in measured and respectable tones, against any form of Talibanisation at the expense of our moderate stance.

Ahead of the general election, with so many competing Malay and Muslim-based parties, we can brace ourselves for upmanship, as Malaysians, unfortunately, remain fixated with race and religion, even after 60 years of independence.

So, if most of us had never heard of Timah, we would also be surprised about the existence of Malaysian-made whiskey.

I called my liquor distributor when it became an issue. I placed an order for a bottle priced at RM144 and waited to try it, but for some reason, I was forgotten. This is the best part – the distributor’s entire stock of 200 bottles, which barely moved, were sold out in 24 hours.

And because PAS created the issue, he managed to clear his stock. Timah may have won an international award, but none of us whiskey drinkers have heard of it. By now, many of us are no longer impressed with brands or individuals claiming awards. Even Michelin star awards for food is questionable.

Likewise, when I saw social media posts on the wine named Hadi, I decided to check if it was legit or otherwise. It turned out to be real and is an Australian product.

No one in town seems to have a bottle, though, because in their words, it’s not great. Well, simply put, Hadi – the wine, that is – tastes bad, so no respectable outlet has ordered it.

Likewise, most Malaysians had never heard of PKR MP Rusnah Aluai from Melaka’s Tangga Batu until last week.

She would probably have taken part in the Dewan Rakyat proceeding, but the media must have slept through or was totally disinterested until she grabbed the country’s attention with her inane remarks about drinking whiskey being akin to “drinking Malay women.”Judging from the comments on social media, even those who supported a name change of Timah have ridiculed her for the comparison.

And you guessed it, Malaysia has again become international news for the wrong reasons.

The former law professor from Universiti Teknologi Mara made it into Singapore’s Straits Times within hours of her remarks, and she became a “hit” in portals such as MSN and Flipboard.

If there’s one more thing we can agree on, it’s that many politicians have become risible. We had DAP Jelutong MP RSN Rayer, who got kicked out of the Dewan Rakyat last week after insisting it was “offensive” that Umno Baling MP Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim shared his experiences in handling a wild elephant using Tamil. It got Rayer riled up when Azeez re-enacted the conversation he had with the elephant in the Indian language.

Rayer needs anger management as he seems to be get upset over the slightest thing. He needs help if his actions are not theatrics. But many of us are tired of such uncouthness.

While Malaysians are grappling with Covid-19, ensuring our kids are safe in schools and getting our livelihoods back, we must cope with these lawmakers, who seem out of phase with reality and are creating issues to divert our attention.

It doesn’t help that many of us are swayed by their race and religious narrative.

Honestly, is this what some of our MPs are up to in Parliament? Then I badly need a drink.

Unnecessary fuss: This Malaysian-made whiskey gained attention after winning an international award only to become embroiled in a supposed ‘controversy’ over its name. — Handout

MOST of us are guilty of making assumptions in some way. Even a name can cause controversy, which must have baffled many foreigners reading the recent news in Malaysia.

In the past fortnight, we’ve been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Again.

Celebrity entrepreneur Nur Sajat, who now resides in Australia, made it into the influential New York Times.

Despite being hunted by our authorities, she has found her way to Sydney. Her story has given the impression that we’ve treated her harshly, and for further national humiliation, it’s claimed that she was groped by religious officers.

They remain allegations, but it hasn’t helped Malaysia’s PR one bit, let’s be honest.

It cuts both ways with perceptions. It’s harmless, but it can also wreak unnecessary havoc.

When Sarawakian Tan Sri Idris Jala was announced as the chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines, I’m quite certain many Malaysians in the peninsula – both Muslim and non-Muslim – assumed he is a Muslim.

The trouble with many of us in the peninsula is that we are rather ignorant, what with our baggage of racial and religious prejudices, a weakness often amplified by opportunistic politicians.

But they’ve succeeded in exploiting this narrative because there are enough voters who believe in them. Don’t only blame the politicians, though.

It’s common for Sabahans and Sarawakians to have Muslim names but be devout Christians. Idris is a Kelabit from Bario, which is known for its evangelical Christian activities.

Then there’s Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, also from Sarawak. It would be hard to find a Muslim in the peninsula named Nancy. Johan or Liza, maybe, but Nancy isn’t widely used. Neither is Selina, for example.

It took a long time for me to realise that Idris isn’t an exclusive Malay or Muslim name.

My good friend, Sarawakian Zahir Kelvin Ong Abdullah, gave me a lecture last month, just ahead of Malaysia Day.

He told me that Idris is a Welsh surname, too. How foolish I’ve been all this time. While Idris is spelled identically in Welsh and Arabic, they mean different things.

Idris is the Muslim prophet mentioned in the Quran, a name associated with being righteous, studious, smart and learned in Arabic. In the Bible, he is called Enoch. In Welsh, Idris means “ardent lord”.

This ignorant writer had assumed all this while that the famous British actor Idris Elba is Muslim.

Following the recent controversy, I finally did some research. Idris isn’t even religious. He has declared himself to be someone of no faith.

Then there is Omar. Following the contention over the name Timah for a Malaysian-made whiskey, some people have also been irked by a whiskey named Omar available for sale here.

These critics claim Muslims would be confused by the Malay name and buy it.

Well, I know for sure that my many Muslim friends and family members would know they were in a liquor section if they strolled into one.

But here’s what my simple research has unearthed: Omar, Umar, Omer or Umer is widely used by Muslims, Jewish and Christians, especially in Spain. Admittedly, it’s a name used more by Muslims.

But the word “omar” also means “amber” in Gaelic, and the whiskey in question is owned by a Taiwanese distillery in the county of Nantou.

In Ireland, “omar” simply means “merry”, which is derived from the Gaelic word “meadhra”.

So imagine how stupid Malaysia would look if we listened to those pushing for a ban on this whiskey with an Irish name. Why can’t basic research be done before chucking a fit?

It’s good to know that some common sense has prevailed over the use of the name Timah for the award-winning Malaysian whiskey. Credit must go to PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man for putting an end to the issue.

He said that Timah was neither a Muslim name nor a person’s name but a type of metal, adding that there is no man named Timah.

He also said that while liquor is prohibited in Islam, the rights of non-Muslims must be considered.

Timah’s manufacturers have explained that the name is derived from the Malay word for tin and the man pictured on its bottle is Captain Tristram Speedy, an English officer in Malaya during the British colonial period.

And correction, even “timah” is a Sanskrit word. The other word “bijih” comes from the Sanskrit root word “biji,” which, like many Malay words, originates from the ancient Indian language.

There’s even a brand of red wine named Hadi that’s bottled in Australia. You must have seen it on social media.

It’s incredulous how some politicians tried to justify corruption with points involving religion but, ironically, got riled up over a name for a whiskey.

Malay words such as “raja” (king), “putera” (prince or son), “puteri” (princess or daughter), “asmara” (love), “anggota” (limb or member), “angkasa” (space), “angsa” (goose) and “janda” (widow), for example, are rooted in Sanskrit.

It looks like all the hours spent reading Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals) has helped me a little in understanding and appreciating the beauty of Bahasa Malaysia, which has also adopted many English words and even Chinese ones.

Let’s not raise a fuss for the sake of it. Kacip Fatimah, a popular herb used to improve women’s health, including enhancing sexual function, has long been in use yet no one has objected to it.

What’s the root cause of these issues, really? It’s understandable if some people genuinely feel that Islam and Muslims are being threatened, but it’s a concern if it’s used as a tool by Malay-Muslim actors to outdo each other or create an illusion of a crisis to sell the cause of Muslim unity, as political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat concluded.

As he said, it doesn’t help when such issues are countered with ridicule, which seems to be the hallmark of comments posted in social media, instead of intellectual arguments. Many of us are, regrettably, poor in civil discourse.

As Wong rightly suggested, issues need to be explained to debunk propaganda, and responses must be measured and calculated to avoid fuelling the sense of entitlement or insecurity.

He even went as far as to suggest that it’s Amanah/Pakatan Harapan operators who are attempting to weaken PAS by accusing the Islamist party of compromising its previous stands on many issues.

The bottom line is this: So long as politicians continue to play up race and religion, Malaysia will remain a dream unrealised after 64 years of independence.

We are also sending the wrong message to the world, especially since Malaysia needs more foreign direct investments. Please spare a thought for our country’s economy.

Malaysia is a modern, moderate and plural country. We are not a Taliban state.

The world will just move on and focus on improving while we continue to bicker over unproductive and inconsequential issues.

Unfortunately, all this has done is left us with a bitter taste.

Positive message: A complex drama like Squid Game is about more than just killing. Through its flawed main character, Seong Gi-hun (pictured), it shows what happens when greed overcomes human values – not exactly an incitement to suicide is it? — Screenshot

PAS politicians never cease to amaze many Malaysians. From attempting to justify the act of corruption to blaming God’s wrath for flooding, they seem to have the most incredulous responses to issues.

Last week, PAS senator Mohd Apandi Mohamad blamed Korean dramas for teenage suicides in Malaysia.

After bingeing the nine-episode Korean drama and global blockbuster Squid Game, this writer only lost a night’s sleep, and didn’t end up a “blur sotong” (a Singlish phrase meaning someone who is clumsy or confused). I haven’t heard of anyone, teenage or warga emas, who was driven to suicide because, well, they are desperately awaiting season two.

If we go by Mohd Apandi’s logic, and had he watched the series, he probably only saw all the killings. He wouldn’t have seen its message – that greed should never overcome human values.

Life isn’t necessarily entirely black and white. So the main character, Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), may have plenty of flaws, being a gambler, a failed father and an alcoholic, but he is also generous and helpful.

His main rival, childhood friend turned failed investment banker Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), even reminds Seong that his biggest failing is that he “cares too much about others”. By Cho’s deduction, this is a weakness – presumably worse than an addiction to alcohol and gambling – because in a world of conformity, success is measured by how much a person is valued or what institute of education they attended.

So I would not be surprised if politicians from PAS, who play to their audience, have a script to appeal to their voter base. They couldn’t care less what urbanites think about them. Why should they when they don’t contest in urban constituencies, where the people find them an odd bunch?

Apandi, who was apparently surprised by the brickbats he received from social media users, quickly clarified in the Dewan Negara that there were other factors that lead to suicide, and that he was not singling out Korean shows. Still wanting to stand his ground, though, he reportedly said “I am not saying Korean dramas or dramas trigger suicides, but they play a part.”

Oh, seriously – “a, jin-jja!” Still stubborn? After the fiasco, he tried to squirm his way out. Luckily, he didn’t blame the media for taking his words “out of context”, a line often used by inane politicians.

Earlier, Apandi had reportedly told the Dewan Negara that almost every South Korean film or drama incorporates elements of suicide, and Malaysian teens were aping that culture. He said many of the teens who took their own lives were “too influenced by films and dramas from Korea”.

According to the study “Youth Suicide in Malaysia” by Chua Sook Ning and Vaisnavi Mogan, during the period of March 18, 2020, when the first movement control order came into effect, to Oct 30, 2020, there was a total of 266 people who died by suicide, equivalent to around 30 suicides a month – almost one a day.

About one in four of these preventable deaths were adolescents aged between 15 and 18 years. The reasons in the suicide cases included debt issues, family and marriage problems, relationship breakdowns, and work pressures.

The study also found that younger individuals were at the highest risk of suicidal behaviour, with individuals between 16 and 24 years old being 4.8 times more likely to attempt suicide compared with people 65 years and above.

In 2017, suicide attempts were highest among Indians (17.9%), followed by Chinese (10.7%) and Malays (4.6%), with over 10% of suicides among bumiputras in Sabah and Sarawak.

Social factors attributed include unemployment, stress, social crimes, poor physical health, and social media, with Internet addiction especially increasing the risk of suicide attempts.

Still, let’s give credit to Apandi for bringing this up. It is an important issue. In the spirit of Squid Game, let’s not eliminate him but let him continue to play the game and move on to the next round. Every-one must be given a chance.

Perhaps he was merely trying to draw attention to his otherwise mundane speech, or he didn’t inform himself enough.

Depression is a cry for help, even if the person experiencing it doesn’t know it. So being receptive and offering a listening ear are the simplest things we can do to help someone ailing from it. Offering a support network comprising family and friends is crucial.

Mental health is a dire problem in Malaysia. The Covid-19 pandemic has generated a hike in suicide cases, no doubt about it.

Just look at the figures. The police recorded 468 suicides in the first five months of 2021 compared with a total of 631 in 2020 and 609 in 2019. On average, at least two suicide deaths occurred daily from 2019 to May 2020. In that time, at least 281 men and 1,427 women committed suicide, with 872 aged between 15 and 18, the police said.

Instead of blaming Korean dramas, we hope that PAS can draw up ideas and proposals on how we can thwart this malaise by identifying family members and people around us who could be suicidal.

The last thing we need is for PAS politicians to moralise and lecture Malaysians, and tell young people to stop watching Korean dramas after a day’s hard work.

Some entertainment won’t hurt lah, even if only to release pent up tension.

An interesting character in Squid Game is Player 244, played by Kim Yun-tae, who always seems to be on the right side of the Lord but who turns out to be brutal as the game progresses.

Oscar-worthy performance: At a press conference last week, Pantai Kundor assemblyman Nor Azman (right) broke down in tears while apologising to the people for his actions. – Bernama

THE politicians probably think voters in Melaka are gullible enough to believe their triggering of the state government’s collapse was done in “the interest of the people.” What nonsense!

Pantai Kundor assemblyman Datuk Nor Azman Hassan, who was one of the four assemblymen who defected from the Barisan Nasional state government, said his withdrawal of support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali was made with that drivel.

He announced that he and Sungai Udang assemblyman Datuk Seri Idris Haron were left with “no choice” but to save the state from what he claimed was “incompetent leadership.”

In an Oscar nomination worthy performance at a press conference last week, Nor Azman broke down in tears while apologising to the people for his actions.

“I want to seek forgiveness from the people in Melaka. I am sincere and our actions were for the sake of the people,” he said, with the customary waterworks as he put his hands together in a gesture of apology.

The takeaway from the Melaka episode is a bunch of squabbling politicians jostling for positions and trying to take control of the state government.

They didn’t even have the patience to wait until the next general election, possibly concerned that the state assembly wouldn’t be dissolved, and that the GE would only involve federal seats.

The two co-stars in the plot are Telok Mas assemblyman Noor Effandi Ahmad from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Independent lawmaker Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee.

Let’s look at the track record of Norhizam, an independent, who was a former DAP man. He won the Pengkalan Batu seat in 2018 and then quit the party two years later to be an independent.

The former bus driver turned politician is well-known for his hot temper, if not, uncouth behaviour, and had reportedly even quarrelled openly with his constituents.

The Melaka saga started when the Perikatan Nasional government came into power in March 2020 following the defections of four assemblymen, which led to the fall of the previous Pakatan state government in 2018.

The four were Paya Rumput assemblyman Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen and Telok Mas assemblyman Noor Effandi Ahmad – both from Bersatu – as well as Rembia representative Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis (formerly PKR, now Umno) and Norhizam.

Basically, Effandi and Norhizam caused the previous state government to collapse and now, they have repeated their performance with the Perikatan state government.

Going by their strange script, they also did this in the state and people’s interests.

In 2020, when Norhizam quit the DAP, he said he was doing it in the “interest of the Malays,” and that he no longer wanted to be a lackey, adding that “I am going back to the right path.”

Honestly, nobody cares if they’re quitting for the Malays, Chinese, Indian or the Portuguese communities because no one in their right mind would believe their spiel.

It’s no stretch of the imagination to say Malaysians are sick and tired of these politicians.

If only they had shown as much urgency in serving us than to scheme and counterplot and craft that scrap they call a statutory declaration. And do they expect the people of Melaka to now face a fresh state election?

After the fiasco in the Sabah state elections, which were held following the collapse of Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s government in 2020, no one is going to risk their health to help politicians fulfil their ambitions.

The state polls set the timebomb off for that Covid-19 explosion in Malaysia, a pandemic we had controlled so well till then.

So, the four who betrayed Sulaiman were hoping to waltz into the state government, particularly for the CM post. However, the rug was pulled from under their feet with the dissolution of the state assembly, approved by the Governor. Now, the four want to appeal to the King to stop it.

So, it’s a catch-22 – no one wants a coup or a state election.

Why would we want to go through this political insanity again, just when we’ve saved the situation and vaccinated nearly 90% of the adult population?

Of course, those who advocate a state election may say Sabah can’t be benchmarked because vaccines weren’t ready then. But even if people are fully vaccinated, the numbers can shoot up instantly, as Singapore saw.

Since Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob became Prime Minister, he has cooled down the political temperature and balanced the seesaw between the opposition and government to strike a truce.

There may be some who will question the effectiveness of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Opposition and government, but at least it’s a stride towards a mature democracy.

It’s the start of bipartisanship and finding common ground for initiating reforms in Malaysia, which the country is crying out for.

The only way now is for the Federal Government to turn to the legal and health experts to find an acceptable solution, as rightly suggested by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein Onn.

The millions of ringgit potentially spent can be put to better use instead of having the state election.

But for a curtain raiser, let’s have solutions that genuinely benefit the state and people.