Rusnah Aluai has apologised for her controversial speech regarding the Timah whiskey brand. — Picture via Twitter
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — PKR MP Rusnah Aluai has apologised for her controversial speech regarding the Timah whiskey brand yesterday, where she said consuming the alcoholic drink was akin to “drinking a Malay woman” .
“Although my original intention was to make sure there is no confusion about the label, my speech was misunderstood.
“Because of that, to whomever was offended by the speech, I apologise”, she said in a Facebook post today.
The Tangga Batu MP however did not explain what she actually meant by her remark.
The Tangga Batu MP had yesterday questioned Timah’s name and the particular image of “Captain Speedy” — otherwise known as Tristam Charles Sawyer Speedy — that is printed on the brand’s bottle, during yesterday’s Dewan Rakyat sitting.
She asserted the brand’s name could be confused with short forms of the Malay feminine names, such as Fatimah, and pointed out that the image of Captain Speedy seems to be wearing a kopiah that is often donned by Muslims.
Winepak Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd, the company behind the locally produced alcoholic drink had a meeting with multiple ministers yesterday, where it agreed to reconsider the brand’s name and asked for a week to consult its investors and other stakeholders.
The company previously explained that Timah was a reference to the tin mining era in colonial Malaya, and that it used the image of Captain Speedy as he is said to have introduced the drinking of whiskey in the country.