KUALA LUMPUR – Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim has called on all parties to stop exploiting the “Allah”-printed socks controversy, as the matter should now be left to the authorities.
“I have instructed that action be taken in accordance with the law, so there is no need for any party to continue to fuel anger.
“The action taken is not solely to punish, but to serve as a lesson and reminder to all to uphold the sensitivities of Malaysians,” his majesty said via his official Facebook page.
He also said it is better for all concerned to learn from this incident and strive for unity, as persistent anger brings no benefit to the country.
“All parties, especially community leaders must act with maturity.
“Let us guide the people towards unity, not division. This is an opportunity to gain a better understanding of each other in our diverse society so that such incidents do not recur.”
On March 19, the Agong called for stringent action against those found guilty in the case relating to socks printed with the word “Allah”.
This came after a photo of the controversial socks surfaced on social media recently, with a claim that it was sold at a KK Mart outlet in Bandar Sunway, Selangor.
Following this case, the founder and directors of KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd were charged in Shah Alam sessions court yesterday.
Datuk Seri Chai Kee Kan and his wife Datin Seri Loh Siew Mui were accused of intentionally hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims by displaying the socks at one of KK Mart’s outlets.
Previously, on March 22, 35-year-old Chiok Wai Loong was sentenced to six months in jail and an RM12,000 fine over his Facebook posts that insulted Muslims’ concerns over the socks sales.
Additionally, a molotov cocktail was hurled at a KK Mart store in Bidor, Perak yesterday. It did not explode but caused damage to the premises.
The boycott campaign against KK Mart was sparked by outrage within the Muslim community over the sale of socks bearing the word “Allah,” leading to calls for a boycott and resulting in legal actions against the store’s management. – March 27, 2024