Ashwin Krushna Panchami
Kuala Lumpur: A party of ethnic Indians in Malaysia today filed a complaint against a beer company and a local daily for hurting the feelings of the Hindu community.
The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a part of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition party, has lodged a police complaint against Skol beer company and “Tamil Nanban” local daily for publishing an advertisement which they said was an insult to the minority community.
Tamil Nanban yesterday published a Diwali advertisement by the beer company which featured a few beer bottles in the middle of a “rangoli” with a message that Diwali celebrations would be more enjoyable with Skol Beer.
MIC youth wing member, C Shivarraj, said “the advertisement by Skol could lead to misperception on the Indian community as well as convey a wrong message to the Indian youth,” the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.
“They are insulting the Hindus’ rangoli by putting the beer bottles in the middle and stating that Diwali celebrations will be more enjoyable with Skol beer,” Shivarraj said.
The public who will see the advertisement might get the a wrong idea that Indians were fond of drinking, he said.
He added that Indian youth might also get the wrong idea that it was a norm to get drunk during Diwali.
Source: Sify
