KUALA LUMPUR – Kuching police are stepping up patrols around KK Mart outlets in Kuching following a petrol bomb attack on one of the chain store’s branches in Jalan Satok in the Sarawak capital yesterday.
Three police chiefs from Kuching’s Satok, Sekama, and Sg Maong divisions met with the management of KK Mart Kuching yesterday, Kuching police stated on Facebook.
They advised the management of the convenience store chain to ensure that each of its premises has CCTV installed and safety measures for its workers, including having only male workers on the midnight shifts.
“Security issues at KK Mart premises were discussed in the meeting, (and) the safety of the workers, especially those working midnight to morning shifts, which must have male employees.
“KK Mart employees are also told to contact the relevant authorities immediately upon seeing any suspicious individuals in the premises.
“Police, especially the Kuching IPD patrol unit, will also intensify patrols around the KK Mart premises to prevent crime and any untoward incidents.”
A KK Mart outlet on Jalan Satok yesterday became the third store to be targeted, following branches in Bidor, Perak and Kuantan Pahang, in the span of a week, as a result of controversy over socks with the word “Allah” sold at an outlet in Bandar Sunway, Selangor.
On March 26, a KK Mart store in Bidor, Perak, was hit by a molotov cocktail, and on March 30, a KK Mart branch in Sg Isap, Kuantan, was similarly attacked in the wee hours of the morning, resulting in a small fire at the store’s entrance.
The attack at the Jalan Satok outlet in Kuching yesterday resulted in a box containing drinks placed on the sidewalk outside the store going up in flames.
KK Mart has been embroiled in controversy after inciting outrage in the Muslim community over its sale of socks with the word “Allah”, resulting in certain quarters calling for a boycott of the company.
KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd founder and executive director Datuk Seri Chai Kee Kan has profusely apologised over the incident, while the company’s supplier, Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, also expressed its regret for the oversight in its quality control process
Chai and his wife, Datin Seri Loh Siew Mui, were charged on March 26 in the Shah Alam sessions court for intentionally hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.
Three directors of Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, which supplied the socks to KK Mart, were also charged with abetting Chai and Loh in the distribution of the socks.
Separately, KK Mart, which claims more than RM30 million in damages and losses due to alleged sabotage by Xin Jian Chang, is also suing the supplier. – April 2, 2024