KUALA LUMPUR – Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi has defended Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh’s assertions that KK Mart boycott supporters were not necessarily the culprits of the two recent attacks on its outlets.
On Facebook, Puad slammed a DAP leader’s remarks on the matter. He echoed Akmal’s assertions that other businesses are also facing boycotts but were not subjected to such attacks.
Puad also took a swipe at DAP’s central executive committee member Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali who accused Akmal of planting seeds of extremism with his boycott calls.
“DAP is presumptuous (in this case). Does Sheikh Umar know that Starbucks and McDonald’s are also being boycotted but have not been hurled with any firebombs?
“That is why we are curious as to who is responsible for throwing the firebombs at KK Mart,” Puad said in a post today.
Puad also believes KK Mart defenders have defied the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree for all quarters to refrain from exploiting the controversy stemming from the sales of socks bearing the word “Allah” at several outlets.
“There may be certain political parties with vested interests. They are incredibly silent, (but they) are also (selectively) supportive (at other times as well),” he said.
Therefore, Puad said that the matter should not only be investigated by the police but also by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as well.
Yesterday, Sheikh Umar, who is also Johor’s DAP vice-chairman, insisted that Akmal had a right to defend Islam from mockery. However, he criticised the latter’s “provocative” and characterised Akmal’s actions as both “irresponsible” and “excessive.”.
Sheikh Umar also expressed concern that Akmal’s approach encouraged the Muslim community to resort to violence and unlawful means to express their dissatisfaction.
The boycott campaign against KK Mart was sparked by outrage within the Muslim community over the sale of the offensive socks. This led to calls for a boycott and resulted in legal actions against the store’s management.
KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd founder Datuk Seri Chai Kee Kan and his wife, Datin Seri Loh Siew Mui, were recently charged in court for intentionally hurting religious sentiments.
At the same time, their supplier, Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, faces a civil suit.
On Saturday, a KK Mart branch in Kuantan, Pahang, became the subject of an arson attack after an unknown assailant threw a molotov cocktail at its front entrance in the early hours of the morning.
However, the firebomb did not cause major damage to the premises.
This comes six days after another KK Mart branch along Jalan Bruseh in Bidor, Perak, faced a similar attack. – April 1, 2024