FMT - Petronas apologises for CNY white ang pow design (extracts):
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KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas has apologised for the white ang pow packet design, which had attracted criticism from some Chinese, especially on social media.
In a statement published on its official Facebook page, it said it had never intended to overlook cultural sensitivities. It said, after receiving the feedback from Malaysians, it redesigned the packets – in red.
Petronas said: “The initial packet showcased a Chinese ink painting from the Petronas art collection, which depicts the welcoming of a new dawn and hopes for the new year.
“The light coloured background, however, has been mistaken for white, which in Chinese culture, is considered inauspicious.”
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In a statement published on its official Facebook page, it said it had never intended to overlook cultural sensitivities. It said, after receiving the feedback from Malaysians, it redesigned the packets – in red.
Petronas said: “The initial packet showcased a Chinese ink painting from the Petronas art collection, which depicts the welcoming of a new dawn and hopes for the new year.
“The light coloured background, however, has been mistaken for white, which in Chinese culture, is considered inauspicious.”
While I appreciate that Chinese cultural respect of its new lunar-solar year does not like certain inauspicious colours, like white and black, surely in a modern world of better informed people with less vulnerability to earlier superstitious beliefs, we could have dismissed that Petronas error with a greater level of graciousness, forgiveness and generosity of spirit, more so when that error was inadvertently committed in an act of muhibbah-ness.
Yet those very same critics could forgive a man who dictated over their parents for 22 years which period saw the loss of human rights, mutilation of our nation's hallowed institutions and profligate waste of unimaginable magnitude, and who has never apologise for his 'sins'.
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Lord President of Judiciary sacked |
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5 High Court judges sacked |
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Dewan Negara mutilated to stifle voice of states |
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106 people incarcerated, some for years, without due process of law - Lim Kit Siang and the late Karpal Singh were among the detainees |
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once the public's conscience and voice now the public's woe and Mahathir's voice |
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patron of a very racist organisation Perkasa was set up to pressure Najib from becoming too friendly to Chinese |
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hundreds of million lost to fulfil his grudge against Singapore; we need to thank former PM AAB for stopping the silly crazy act of profligacy |
Somewhere in our socio-politics the abnormally high level of toxicity has distorted our sense of proportion, tolerance and balance, where we are now making a mountain out of a molehill whilst attempting to cover up the real mountain of horror.
Related: Chinese dogs and prostitutes.
Related: Chinese dogs and prostitutes.
