KUALA LUMPUR – Umno Youth’s refusal to accept convenience store chain KK Super Mart’s apology for selling socks with the word “Allah” is tantamount to harassment and bullying, said former law minister Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim.
In an apparent dig at Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, Zaid sarcastically questioned whether the appointed leader is someone “who is able to harass and make unreasonable demands to show that Umno is a party of struggle.”
“Look at the demands of Umno Youth to KK Mart to strengthen their apology. How does one make an apology stronger?” a supposedly perplexed Zaid queried in a social media post today.
“(Akmal) saying that they would take drastic actions unless KK Mart puts up banners in all (881) of its stores apologising (for the incident) struck me as a bullying and humiliation tactic – not so much as to get an apology.”
He also said that Umno Youth should be more responsible when dealing with “sensitive matters or errors” made by the Chinese business community,
He also added: “If there are no KK Marts in the world, will Umno Youth be able to start up similar stores to serve the people?”
Last night, Akmal said that Umno Youth is giving KK Super Mart’s management two days to erect banners in all of its branches nationwide to apologise for the sale of socks printed with the word “Allah”.
Noting that he will instruct party figures to make the rounds and check if the banners have been put up, Akmal also warned of a “stronger boycott” if the company’s management refuses to comply with the demands.
The Merlimau assemblyman had also lodged a police report against KK Super Mart for the sale of the goods, urging police to investigate the matter under Section 298A of the Penal Code on causing disharmony or enmity on religious grounds.
Umno Youth’s demands came despite KK Super Mart founder Datuk Seri KK Chai having organized a press conference yesterday to reiterate the company’s regret over the matter.
“The company does not have any intention to disrupt public harmony. I humbly apologise to all Malaysians, especially those of the Muslim faith,” Chai said.
He also explained that the management of the product was handled by a vendor without the supervision of KK Super Mart employees, with only 14 of the offending products found in three out of 800 branches nationwide.
Also present at the press conference was Soh Chin Huat, the owner of the vendor company Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, who said that the socks were imported from China and admitted that a full inspection had not been conducted on each item.
Meanwhile, MCA vice president Datuk Tan Teik Cheng commended the convenience store chain for its approach to resolving sensitive issues and chastised Umno Youth’s response to the matter.
“(Akmal’s decision to) report this incident and urge others affected to do the same not only fails to solve the problem but also exacerbates racial tensions, offering no help to the matter,” Tan said in a statement today.
“In handling such issues, politicians should refrain from exploiting it for personal or political gain and instead focus on protecting public interests.
“Only then can the issue be resolved while conveying the government’s commitment to its responsibility to the public.” – March 17, 2024