 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling.(April 2024) |
On 13 March 2024, a picture of socks being sold at a KK Super Mart in Sunway City, Petaling Jaya went viral on Malaysian social media due to the socks being printed with the word Allah, the Arabic word for God. [1]
This case received the attention of the public and politicians such as Dr. Muhamad Akmal Saleh, [2] Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, [3] Datuk Razali Idris, [4] and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) leaders. [5] [6] [7] Some political analysts suggested that some Muslim politicians were using the event to rally the support of Malay nationalists and "divide multicultural Malaysia". [8]
Some commentators urged the public not to exaggerate this issue, including Chong Sin Woon, [9] Wee Ka Siong, [10] Loke Siew Fook, [11] Nga Kor Ming, [12] Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, [13] Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi [14] and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. [15] On social media, some users called for a boycott of the store chain. [16]
KK Super Mart apologized for the sale of the socks, and said the item would be pulled from shelves. Xin Jian Chang, the company which distributed the socks, also apologized, saying the socks in questions were one of five such pairs in a shipment of 18,800 pairs of socks produced by a Chinese company. [17] KK Super Mart reported that they found the socks in stock at three of their 800 outlets. [16]
Since the boycott, there have been three Molotov cocktail-throwing incidents at KK Super Mart branches. On 28 March at 5:35 am (just six days after similar attacks happened in Crocus City Hall at Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia), a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a KK Super Mart branch at Bidor, Perak from a car. [18] Two days later, another KK Super Mart branch at Kuantan was hit by a Molotov cocktail, causing a small fire at the entrance. Another branch in Kuching was also hit by a Molotov cocktail on 1 April. [19] The attacks are still under investigation, but according to the police chief of Kuantan, Wan Mohamad Zahari Wan Busu, the attack may be related to the sock controversy. [20] [21]
Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Acting Sultan of Johor (Tunku Mahkota Johor), Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim ordered that the those responsible are subject to strict action by the authorities to avoid the same incident from happening again. [17]
Director of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department, Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, said two investigation papers were opened after his party received 42 reports. This case will be investigated by the Bukit Aman Classified Crime Investigation Unit according to Section 298A of the Penal Code which is for religious reasons, causing an atmosphere of disharmony, division or enmity, hatred, malice or harming unity.
On March 20, the man who posted the original photo of the socks to social media was arrested. [22]
On March 25, Malaysian police announced that the directors of KK Super Mart and the Xin Jian Chang distribution company would be held liable in court. The directors of KK Super Mart would be charged under Section 298 of the Penal Code for "intentionally wounding religious feelings", while the Xin Jian Chang distribution company would be charged with "abetting the offense". [8] [23]
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