Nothing less than an insult to one’s intelligence

From

How is it possible to claim that these words are “inappropriate” when they were clearly taken out of context? One does not need to be a linguist to identify these terms in different contexts.

Jakim later said there would be a step-by-step name change for hot dogs all across Malaysia.

It said that when the time comes for street vendors and restaurants selling hot dogs to renew their twoyear halal certification, the religious authorities would make “step-bystep” changes in their menus if there are confusing terms.

I suppose that’s exactly why I noticed the term “RB” for root beer and “chicken coney” for coney dog when I headed to A&W for dinner the other night.

Netizens, who bombarded social media with their displeasure and annoyance, weren’t the only ones upset by this sudden turn of events.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz commented that the whole fuss regarding this issue was ridiculous, stating that it was raised by ignoramuses.

He said as a Muslim, he was not offended by the term “hot dog” and it had been used for decades.

Nazri said the issue make us look stupid and kuno (backward) to the world.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein joined in, saying that the issue was absurd as he had been eating hot dogs all his life without them turned into an issue.

I could not have agreed more with both men.

When the news made it to BBC, that was when it hit me. How silly and foolish we must look and appear to the rest of the world. It is embarrassing, but perhaps, there is something to be learnt here: sometimes proper, in-depth research should be made before coming to a decision like this.

We have been using terms like “hot dog” and “root beer” for generations without doubting their meanings. Why the sudden change in attitude now? Are we getting pettier with minute issues?

The way I see it, this was unwarranted and should not have been an issue at all from the beginning. In fact, this is nothing less than an insult to one’s intelligence and faith.

I can only hope that this decision falls through and we can go back to how things have been all this time.

I would hate to think that one day we would not be able to head to the burger stall by the road side and say, “Hot dog ayam satu bang!”

The writer,