The Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) has urged "respect and harmony" going into the Chinese Lunar New Year, which marks the beginning of the Year of the Dog in the Chinese calendar.

In a statement, Jakim director Othman Mustapha (photo) did not make any specific reference to dogs, but instead mentioned "animal."

"It is public knowledge that the Chinese community in Malaysia will be celebrating Chinese New Year on Feb 16 and 17 based on the Chinese lunar calendar.

"Making reference to the concept of fiqh ta'ayush (togetherness), even though Chinese New Year uses an animal as a symbol, all quarters should respect this and maintain racial harmony.

"This is in line with the government's wasatiyyah (moderation) approach in Islam," he said.

Othman's statement came amid concerns about Muslim sensitivities, with some malls admitting to scaling back on dog decorations for Chinese New Year, and certain local clothing lines removing the symbol of dogs and pigs from the Chinese zodiac.

Othman said all quarters should be wise in understanding the spirit of togetherness in the interest of racial and religious unity.