Malaysia orders Auntie Anne's to rename hot dogs, in case people think they contain dog meat
UPDATE: Oct. 20, 2016, 2:04 p.m. SGT The prime minister's department said on Thursday it won't force Auntie Anne's to change the hot dog's name, if the company can make a case for it.
Earlier this week, Malaysia ordered Auntie Anne's to rename its pretzel dogs in the Muslim country because people might think the snack may contain dog meat.
Islamic authorities told the U.S. fast food chain to banish the word "dog" from its menu, and has suggested it rename its pretzel-wrapped frankfurter to Pretzel Sausage.
You May Also Like
At parliament on Thursday, Jamil Khir Baharom, who oversees the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) in the prime minister's department, told reporters that the ministry does prefer Auntie Anne's change the hot dog's name, but added that it is open to negotiating a compromise with brands that want to protect trademarked names.
"The focus is ultimately the content of the object not the name," he was quoted as saying.
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department appears to have taken issue with the name, because dogs are deemed unclean in Islam. Authorities are saying Auntie Anne's needs to remove the word "dog" to be compliant with Islamic dietary laws.
Other chains have also been affected by similar rules. A&W's coney dogs and frankfurters are shortened to "coneys" and "franks" on its Malaysian menu, while its root beer appears as "RB" to avoid using the word "beer," which is also deemed unclean since it's alcoholic.
With its halal certification on the line, Auntie Anne's has said it will comply with the request. The company's halal executive, Farhatul Kamilah, said on Facebook that several new names have been submitted to the Islamic department, and are awaiting approval.
Some comments on Farhatul's post have suggested that the move is an overreaction by local religious authorities. A commenter, Arasu Mas, said Auntie Anne's could possibly check what branches are doing in other Muslim countries in the region such as Brunei.
Elsewhere, the news has drawn disdain from Muslims in Malaysia:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
Victoria Ho is Mashable's Asia Editor, based in Singapore. She previously reported on news and tech at The Business Times, TechCrunch and ZDNet. When she isn't writing, she's making music with her band
