Moderate status will go to the ‘dogs’ over furore, says Rafidah

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s status as a moderate nation will be affected by the furore involving Auntie Anne’s “pretzel dog”, says Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.

The outspoken former Cabinet minister took offence at those who only sought to paint the country in a negative light.

“We are supposed to be a moderate Muslim nation. With such decisions, we have negated that and now appear to be a nation governed in some spheres, by people with horse blinkers on,” she wrote in a Facebook posting.

Rafidah questioned if some people had gone “doggone loco (crazy)” for trying to change the name of a popular Western snack.

“We are not eating dogs. That is a Western snack food. We cannot take the liberty to change the names of other people’s food!” she said.

Rafidah said only an “odd minority” would get confused or doubt the halal status of snacks like hot dogs.

“Do we cater for that odd tiny minority? Forgetting the vast majority of Malaysians and visitors who know what hot dogs are? If any Muslim is in doubt of the ‘halalness’ of anything, then avoid it,” she added.

MCA, meanwhile, urged its allies in the Government to control its religious authorities from “dominating, imposing and controlling others”.

Party Religious Harmony Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker raised questions on the country’s secularism if religious authorities could easily interfere with the social-commercial wellbeing of multiracial Malaysians.

“The much avowed promise that Islamic laws, authorities and regulations will not affect non-Muslims in a multiracial society is meaningless when many are still unable to uphold the true teachings of religion in a correct perspective.

“This entire episode rubbishes the notion of those who are prohudud that Muslim laws and authorities have no impact on non-Muslims,” he said in a statement.

Ti said recent development spells a bleak future for multi-religious Malaysia.

“There should not be one single ethnic group or religion intruding into the practices, tolerance and existence that have been upheld and protected by the spirit of Rukun Negara and the Federal Constitution,” he said.