KUALA LUMPUR – It would be better to die than continue doing nothing when Islam is being insulted, said Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh on the heels of floor mats with images of the Kaaba.
Akmal, who is Merlimau assemblyman, said it is time for political leaders to set aside their differences to strengthen the ummah (the people).
“When your religion is insulted like this and we are still unaware, it is better to die.
“Muslims, let us unite, no matter the differences in political ideologies. The unity of ummah becomes our strength to avoid being looked down on,” he said in a Facebook post today.
His comments came after the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) seized 11 floor mats with the image of the Kaaba being sold in a supermarket in the state.
JAINJ seized the floor mats on April 9, a day before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, following public complaints on social media.
JAINJ chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid also said the department summoned the supermarket’s management for an explanation while warning them to be careful with the products sold to consumers.
A TikTok clip depicted a green floor mat seemingly etched with the outline of the Kaaba – Islam’s holiest site at the Al-Haram mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and the direction to which Muslims pray – at the top of a pile of other mats ostensibly inside a supermarket display bin.
Akmal had previously taken other businesses to task over controversies of allegedly incorporating Islamic elements into their products.
Last week, he demanded that local fashion company Vern’s explain claims that the soles of its shoes had the word “Allah” in khat, to which the firm replied that the design was of its signature product.
Akmal had also been vocal about boycott efforts after convenience store chain KK Mart sold socks with the word “Allah” printed on them, maintaining his stance despite being probed by police for sedition.
Earlier this week, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim held an audience with Akmal, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Melaka Umno chief Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh and DAP deputy secretary-general Liew Chin Tong.
Following the audience, the Agong expressed his hope that political leaders would avoid being extremists when giving their views on religious and racial issues.
Subsequently, Akmal said he would heed the Agong’s advice to maintain national harmony. – April 13, 2024