Taking a page fresh from the Papa John’s PR book, Pizza Hut Malaysia have found themselves in a hot oven this week after their social media account made appalling comments regarding transgender women and religion.
A debate among private citizens regarding transgender rights saw a surprising two-cents added into the mix via Pizza Hut Malaysia’s official Twitter account.
The original poster commented that as a trans woman, you share the same aurat as a cis gender woman.
In Islam, aurat refers to parts of the body that should not be seen in public. While some say that it refers merely to genitals and a woman’s breasts, some conservatives consider even a woman’s voice to be aurat, as it could be a “temptation”.
Some users disagreed, stating that transgendered women had no place in religion.
Suddenly, out of left field, from an old pizza box left in a dumpster, Pizza Hut Malaysia interjected, stating that it would take something magnanimous to cleanse them, and that they needed zam zam water (waters from the never-drying well in Mecca).
Classy, right?
The tweet has since been deleted, but is readily available as nothing on the internet dies, ever.
Apologizing, and saying that the comment came via a digital agency hired to manage their accounts, the company issued three statements via the same social media platform yesterday:
Calling the message “inappropriate,” they said that they neither condoned the view, nor involved themselves in matters of religion or sexuality.
Is it just us, or is it wholly unsettling these days that a pizza company has “views” beyond what kind of cheese to put on a pizza? That’s all we’re looking for really. And a superior crust.
Pizza Hut Malaysia has added that their digital media agency has been fired over the matter.
However, not everyone is satisfied: The person who posted the original tweet, @kakumei, is asking for recognition in being ridiculed by the company (and perhaps an apology?).
One user wants the social media named and shamed. They added that in good faith, the brand should donate a portion of their sales to a women’s NGO. 
Pizza Hut’s Chief Marketing Officer has declined to name the offending agency, saying:
“It goes against our ethics as a business to ‘name and shame’ our former business partners and cause them further injury after action has been taken.”
Damn, Domino’s Malaysia, too bad you’re not in the Twitter game here in Malaysia: Now is your time to shine as the less-bigoted crust.
