Heineken Malaysia has recently ran into a bit of a trouble with the Muslim community in Malaysia when the company introduced its brand new non-alcoholic malt beverage called the Heineken 0.0.
This has gotten many people, especially Muslims, confused by its ad which consists tagline, “Great Taste. Zero Alcohol. Now You Can!” which was featured in local newspapers in a full page spread.
[ JomKitaTanya ] – Since Zero Alcohol Korang Rasa Boleh Minum Ker? 🤔 #JomKita pic.twitter.com/zbclD4zVu3
— Jomkita 🇲🇾 (@Jomkitamy) July 8, 2019
Many Muslims expressed their concerns over the new beer including Mujahid Yusof, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, who said that beer manufacturers should not “confuse consumers especially Muslims” with its non-alcoholic beer.
“We know the alcohol-free drink is produced by a beer manufacturer but it would cause confusion as some Muslims thought they could consume the drink,” he said as quoted by The Star.
In a new statement, Heineken Malaysia clarifies that the new Heineken 0.0 is non-Halal and only targeted at non-Muslims aged 21 years old and above.
The company also mentioned that this info was mentioned during its product launch press conference in June and in previous news reports.
“The purpose for introducing Heineken 0.0 in Malaysia is to provide a choice for non-Muslim consumers who enjoy the taste of beer but not necessarily the effects of alcohol,” Heineken Malaysia explained in a statement.
“Meanwhile, the ‘Now You Can’ tagline refers to the various new occasions that Heineken 0.0 allows non-Muslim consumers to enjoy a beer, including at lunch, during work meetings, after the gym and when one needs to drive.”
