Advert pulled over links to Christmas

Kuala Lumpur:  A Malaysian television station scrapped a commercial tied to the biggest Muslim holiday after viewers complained it appeared influenced by Christmas and Santa Claus.

The commercial began airing earlier this month to wish Muslim viewers a happy celebration of Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

Ethnic Malay Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, are expected to start celebrating Eid this Friday.

The advert depicted children travelling in a flying trishaw driven across the night sky by a white-haired, elderly man to a fantasy land with sparkling lotuses and oil lamps.

The clip drew complaints from people who believed the man was reminiscent of Santa Claus, and that the clip looked like a promotion for Christmas instead of Eid.

Some also believed it should not have depicted lotuses or oil lamps, saying those seemed linked to Buddhism and Hinduism.