McDonald's apologizes after leaving pig out of toy collection

Jan 22, 2010, 10:16 GMT

Singapore - Fast-food giant McDonald's on Friday apologized to Singaporeans and said it would bring a pig to its latest toy collection after the decision to leave the animal out stirred a controversy in the Chinese-dominated city-state.

Just ahead of the Chinese New Year in mid-February, McDonald's had released a set of 12 soft toys representing the animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar.

However, the fast-food chain left out the pig and replaced it with the love god cupid as Valentine's Day also falls in February, arguing that the company did not want to offend Muslims.

But the decision raised protests among Chinese Singaporeans who argued on internet forums that it would not make sense to collect the toys without the pig included because it was part of Chinese culture.

'We're sorry and we're grateful,' McDonald's said in an advertisement in Friday's edition of the Straits Times newspaper, adding, 'It was never our intention to offend anyone.'

As requested by customers, it would bring the pig into the collection in mid-April, owing to its production schedule, the company said.

Muslims writing in Internet forums were relaxed about the whole issue and said the fast-food chain had overreacted.

'It is just a toy,' one wrote.