KOTA KINABALU, April 20 — The Hard Rock Cafe here will remove promotional banners and buntings featuring the image of an orangutan holding a guitar that triggered public outcry in the state.
The regional group general manager of the global restaurant franchise, Michael Liaw, said that they are currently in the process of removing the materials, including online flyers on social media, buntings and banners.
“They started this morning, but there are 120 or so buntings and banners all over the city, so it should all be taken down by tomorrow morning latest,” said Liaw when contacted by Malay Mail Online, adding that the online images have already been removed.
He said that the company will be issuing a statement later today regarding the incident, and it was also learnt that they would look for ways to work with Sabah Wildlife Department on conservation opportunities in the state.
The restaurant, which began operations this month, came under heavy fire from Sabah’s environmental organisations and members of the public for the image, with many complaining on the restaurant’s Facebook page to demand they remove all promotional material bearing the photo.
Photographs of the restaurant’s promotional advertisements bearing the image of an orangutan baring its fangs while holding an electric guitar on a stage, went viral on social media site Facebook, with environmentalists and enraged locals aghast over buntings and banners.
State Tourism, Culture and Environmental Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said that using the iconic and endangered animal for a commercial publicity stunt does not portray Sabah or Hard Rock Café well.
“Animal right groups globally are objecting to the use of the image and we want to avoid any situation where they might urge international tourists to boycott Sabah over a controversial depiction of the much-loved orangutan” he said
On Sunday, Sabah Wildlife Department director William Baya took the international franchised restaurant to task for the use of the image despite them expressing their misgivings about the image it portrayed.
He said that they had a meeting to discuss potential collaboration efforts including an orangutan adoption programme but it fell through when the department objected to the use of the photo.
Angry environmentalists from around the world contacted the department through social media postings, Twitter, emails and even phone calls from as far as Australia ever since this photo went viral on Friday.
When contacted today on the removal of the promotional ads, Baya said he will wait “until they walk the talk” before commenting.
Angry Facebook users also bombarded the restaurant’s Facebook page and went so far as to threaten to boycott the restaurant if it did not immediately take down the offending advertising material depicting the state’s beloved mascot.
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