The international dessert chain dipndip recently faced a wave of backlash after launching a Ramadan promotion in Malaysia that drew sharp criticism from the local Muslim community.
According to a viral social media post, the “Ramadan Deals” promotion offered selected desserts for just RM19.90. Because the deal was marketed under the name “Ramadan”, social media users naturally expected it to be available throughout the day or, at the very least, starting from iftar (the breaking of the fast). However, that was not the case.
The deals were only available for dine-in between 10 AM and 5 PM daily, a time when the Muslim community is still fasting, long before they break their fast at approximately 7:29 PM.
“Make it make sense!”
One user on Threads urged the management to adjust the promotion before customers fled, pointing out the blatant irony of a Ramadan deal that only permitted dine-in before iftar.
One commenter noted that the timing made it feel more like a Chinese New Year deal than one intended for Ramadan.
Another suggested that management should have refrained from using the word “Ramadan” entirely if the promotion was never truly meant for those observing the fast.
“It was intended to be available for both dine-ins and takeaways”
Following the outcry, the “Ramadan Deals” were removed from dipndip’s social media pages. This morning (27 February), the management of dipndip Malaysia issued a public apology to clarify the situation, claiming the promotion was intended for both dine-in and takeaway.
In an official statement, dipndip maintained that its goal was to celebrate the meaningful month and provide enjoyable experiences for all customers.
“We deeply respect Ramadan and our Muslim community, and we strive to ensure our promotions are thoughtful and inclusive. We apologise for any confusion this may have created,” the statement read.
dipndip also mentioned that the promotion was withdrawn on Thursday (26 February) following the backlash.
