Just consider what would have been the international reaction if a Christian-majority country would have shown on TV ads aimed at non-Christians telling them what they should or shouldn’t do during religious celebrations. I guess even Ban Ki-Moon would have protested:
“While the station retracted the advertisements within 48 hours of first screening them and issued a public apology, this episode is telling of the dominant interpretation among members of the Malay bourgeoisie there about the value of Ramadan,” writes Bahrawi. “Ending each advertisement is a condescendingly moralizing message that puts the onus of betterment on the culturally ‘other’ when the focus should be an improvement of the self.
“In one, non-Muslims are explicitly told: “Do not be loud or obnoxious.”
“In another, it was: “Do not be greedy and eat in public.”
“More than spell out the exclusive nature of Islam, the advertisements are revelatory of the inability of Malaysia’s ultra-Malay elites to overcome ethnic tensions with the minority Chinese,” writes Bahrawi. “Ramadan or not, the advertisements suggest that their rose-tinted view of Malaysia is one colored by race-tinted glasses.”
via Malaysian TV station pulls Ramadan commercials aimed at non-Muslims – Beliefnet News.
Related articles
- These Malaysian adverts miss the point of Ramadan | Nazry Bahrawi (guardian.co.uk)
- ‘Racist’ Ramadan adverts pulled in Malaysia (telegraph.co.uk)
- Malaysian TV station cuts ads that offended non-Muslims (independent.co.uk)
Tea and Politics 
Wow – I would have loved to see the ads. Ramadan is a joke – all they do is skip lunch. And they all gain weight due to gorging at Iftar.
dear mrs dont understand about malaysian at all,
please do research about malaysian history before accused other nation. FOR YOUR INFO, MALAYSIA is a country which owned islam as an official religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Malaysia). Plus, Muslim in Malaysia are majority. That is part of FACT in malaysian history. Malaysia is a country that give freedom to other nation to perform their virtual but still it needs to follow the regulation of Malaysian law. Therefore, dont spread rumor which u dont know non. I know my english is alittle bit upside down but still i cant talk in Bahasa since u dont understand it at all. Im sorry if this words is harsh, but fact is fact. DON’T CHANGE FACT INTO UR OWN THEORY. Therefore, showing the advertisement about Islam is not wrong in our country. I’m sorry to bug in into your blog, but you touch about Malaysia, so i’m one of citizen in here feel threatening and i have right to criticize. If it is a fact, then it is ok….but it is fake. .
HEY man, in England the NHS *national health services I guess* has told nonmuslim employees not to eat at their desks during Ramadan, to remove any vending machines in areas where muslims work, and that the normal ‘foot cart for lunch’ not be wheeled in.
They are making nonmuslims suffer ‘just in case’ it offends muslims. Like, dude, I really don’t give a crap if you want to fast for Ramadan, I’m not muslim, and I’m not going to change my eating habits. I will eat a triple stack ham and bacon sandwich every day.
I have a christian friend in Malaysia, and he said muslims spit at his feet when he walks down the street. Christians are treated worse than stray dogs.