By Teresa Kok
 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--I would like to congratulate Timah whiskey manufacturer Winepak Corporation Sdn. Bhd. for maintaining the brand name and I welcome the decision by the cabinet to allow Timah whiskey to keep its name.

Credit should be given to the public and the media for raising the ire and absurdity of such trivial issues. Having cabinet ministers to discuss the name of Timah whiskey was absolutely unnecessary. We have become a worldwide laughing stock, debating over the name of a whiskey brand.

Since the issue was blown out of proportion, allow me to remind everyone that at least four cabinet ministers, namely, Annuar Musa, Halimah Siddique, Alexander Nanta Linggi and Idris Ahmad; met to deliberate on Timah whiskey on October 25. What a waste of time!

If they had so much time to spare, they should’ve focused more to work on stopping leakages of billions of ringgit and address Pandora Papers in the Parliament.

The name of the whiskey should not be an issue in the first place and such trivial matters have wasted the time of so many people over more pertinent and important matters in Parliament.

I’d like to point out that the manufacturing license by Winepak Corporation Sdn. Bhd. which ended last October, yet to be renewed. I urge the authorities not to delay or play politics, it’s about time to end this nonsensical episode.