Malaysia mart’s ˜Allah” socks blunder sparks backlash from Muslims

SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s Minister for Religious Affairs Mohd Na’im Mokhtar has called for calm following a business blunder that has sparked anger and criticism across the country’s Muslim communities.


Socks bearing the word “Allah” were found to be sold in several outlets of local convenience store chain KK Super Mart. Photographs of the offending item went viral online and have triggered backlash from netizens and prominent public figures, with some calling for a KK Super Mart boycott.


The incident is especially sensitive as it occurred during the holy month of Ramadan.


“The word ‘Allah’ is highly esteemed in the eyes of Muslims,” said Dr Na’im, according to Bernama. “Allah is our creator and the act of putting Allah at our feet is an insult.”


He added that the police, the Islamic development department (Jakim), and the domestic trade and cost of living ministry will investigate the matter to identify the cause and party responsible for the controversy.


Jakim is also under instruction to call a representative from KK Super Mart’s management to assist in the investigation.


"Give trust to the authorities to conduct their investigations and to determine the true cause,” the minister said to reporters gathered at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin mosque on Sunday (Mar 17).


Speaking in parliament on Mar 18, Deputy Home Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said if found guilty, the relevant parties may be punished with a fine of up to RM20,000 (US$4,251) or imprisonment of up to three years, or both.


In response to the blowback, KK Super Mart apologised for its oversight in a Mar 13 Facebook post, where it confirmed it had halted the sale of the offensive accessories. Founder K.K. Chai followed up with a further apology during a press conference three days later.


“I humbly apologise to all Malaysians, especially those from the Muslim faith,” said Dr Chai.


He explained the product management of the items concerned was done entirely by a vendor via a space rental system, and without supervision from KK Super Mart employees.


Dr Chai added inspections at its 800 branches across Malaysia found only three stores stocking the socks, with 14 pairs with the word "Allah" on them.


The owner of the vendor company Xin Jian Chang was also present at the press conference on Saturday to offer his own apology.


"The socks were imported from China and were among sacks containing 1,200 pairs each of different designs, so I overlooked and did not do a full inspection of each item,” said Mr Soh Chin Huat.


"The incident has opened my eyes to be more careful when bringing in products from abroad and I apologise for this.”


KK Mart corporate relations adviser Haika Daniel has said allegations that the convenience stores had intentionally sold the socks to insult Muslims were altogether untrue.


"We know that the name of Allah is close to the heart of Muslims in the country. So, we want to emphasise that the company did not intentionally create this issue ... this is completely untrue,” he said.


However, these actions were not enough for the youth chief of Malaysia’s largest political party - the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).


Dr Akmal Saleh has urged Muslims to boycott KK Super Mart outlets, and also filed a police report. He also urged the company to put up banners in each of its stores apologising for the incident.


If they do not, Dr Akmal has warned of more drastic action.


As of Mar 18, police have received 36 reports about socks bearing the word ‘Allah’ for sale at KK Mart convenience stores, according to deputy home minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, cited in Free Malaysia today.


Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) vice-president Tan Teik Cheng responded to Dr Akmal’s statement, accusing the UMNO politician of stirring up racial friction.


"KK Mart did not come up with excuses after the incident but acknowledged their mistake, apologised, and immediately resolved the issue to bring closure to the matter.


"The move by the UMNO youth chief to report the incident (to police) and urging others to do the same, however, does not only fail to solve the problem but also exacerbates racial tensions,” he said.


The youth chief of Malaysia’s Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is part of the current unity government alongside UMNO, also spoke out against Dr Akmal’s KK Super Mart attack, calling for a "middle ground".


"There is no need for any escalation or excessive threats that are not productive and would only divide our multicultural fabric even further and even hurt the local economy,” said Dr Kelvin Yii.


Dr Na’im - the religious affairs minister at the Prime Minister’s Department - has taken a more reserved approach. While urging calm, he also noted that the incident was “hard to forgive”, according to Bernama.


“The apology has been made but surely we hope that in the future, KK Super Mart does not take such things lightly and any audit department should inspect goods that have been brought in from abroad.

Malaysia mart’s ‘Allah’ socks blunder sparks backlash from Muslims and debate among politicians - CNA

heathens...

“Allah is our creator and the act of putting Allah at our feet is an insult.”

Didn't Allah create feet? Why would He find them offensive? Similarly, Allah created (so the story goes) gays, trans folks, negroes...does He find these people as offensive as feet? Inquiring minds etc.

One should not mock coons in manifesting their savagery.

Allah be praised!

https://i3.cpcache.com/merchandise/1...ctNo=536653204


https://i3.cpcache.com/merchandise/1...ctNo=536653223

Quote:

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Originally Posted by misskit

Socks bearing the word “Allah” were found to be sold

---

Surely something afoot would have been found sooner.

They have really put their foot in it.

The best range of sox interpringly are the multi use Mao-Lulu-cum-Eddo-Smego range

Quote:

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Originally Posted by david44

They have really put their foot in it.

---

They need to toe the line.

Well, your second attempt makes sense, at least. :D

They could have been stitched up.



How's that? :)

why are raghead neanderthals so easily offended and why must they resort to violence at the slightest provocation.

Malaysia store hit by Molotov cocktail over ‘Allah’ socks

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a store belonging to a Malaysian chain that had offered socks bearing the word “Allah” for sale, police said on Saturday.


The incident came days after the mini-market chain’s executives were charged with hurting religious feelings over the sale of the socks at another of its stores.


Wan Mohamad Zahari Wan Busu, police chief in Kuantan city in Malaysia’s east, said the KK Supermart branch had been hit just before dawn, causing a small fire at the entrance.


He told AFP that the attack was “still under investigation, but we’re not denying that it may be related to the incident involving stockings with the word Allah”.


Employees put out the fire with an extinguisher and no injuries were reported, he said.


Pictures of the socks spread on social media this month, sparking public outrage among some Muslims who regarded them as insulting, especially because they went up for sale during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.


Islam is the official religion in Malaysia and Malay-Muslims make up more than two-thirds of the population of 34 million.


Race and religion are thorny issues in Malaysia, which witnessed deadly racial riots in 1969.


KK Super Mart CEO Chai Kee Kan, 57, and his wife, who serves as a company director, were charged this week with “deliberately intending to hurt the religious feelings” of Malaysians, according to a charge sheet seen by AFP.


Three officials from supplier Xin Jian Chang were also charged with abetting them.


All five pleaded not guilty and face a maximum jail term of one year or a fine, or both, if convicted.


The case drew a rare royal rebuke from Malaysia’s king, who called for an investigation and “strict action” against any party found guilty.


KK Supermart, Malaysia’s second-largest mini-market chain, has apologised for the socks, saying it viewed the matter “seriously” and had taken action to stop their sale immediately.


Supplier Xin Jian Chang also issued an apology, saying the “problematic socks were part of a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered” from a company based in China.

Malaysia store hit by Molotov cocktail over 'Allah' socks | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

With Malaysians’ religious sentiments increasingly offended, ‘Outrage Industry’ has field day

Nowadays, it appears many Malaysians are becoming outraged over the littlest things that offend their cultural or religious sentiments, analysts and academics say.


What makes these small things blow up, rather than blow over, is the “Outrage Industry” – comprising news television, social media and political party members – which has come of age in Malaysia.


This industry gleefully pounces on every slight, magnifies it, and puts a virtual megaphone in the hands of the overly sensitive to exploit them for ratings or political gains, observers say.


And in a multiethnic and multireligious Malaysia, where religious conservatism is also on the rise, this coalescing of outrage is what most worries many political observers, because it has the potential to inflame communities.


Just three months into 2024, Malaysia is already facing four big outrage-driven controversies that have caused divisions and disruptions – and, in fact, continue to do so.


The latest brouhaha – a supermarket chain selling socks with the word “Allah” inappropriately printed on it – began as a legitimate grievance. But action was taken, with the chain’s founder, a Malaysian-Chinese man, apologizing and saying he had terminated the services of the supplier the socks came from.


That was not enough for the youth wing of the United Malays National Organization, a party that ruled Malaysia for close to 60 years, claiming to be the champion of Malay Muslim interests. The youth wing is stridently calling for the supermarket’s stores to be boycotted because, it says, those who insulted Islam need to be taught a lesson.


UMNO soon backed the youth wing’s calls – after all, it was supposed to be the champion of Malays, the country’s ethnic majority. Starting in 2018, when it lost a general election for the first time, UMNO’s support among the Malays has declined drastically because of a slew of corruption scandals involving its members.


The party’s traditional support base has moved to the Perikatan Nasional group, which comprises the Bersatu party and the hardline Islamic party, PAS. UMNO claimed its decision to back the boycott was not political, it was moral.


UMNO is part of the federal coalition that consists of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s secular Pakatan Harapan group, but it says its stance will not affect ties within.

However, Anwar is rather tired of the controversy around the socks being dragged on despite action having been taken.


“My stance is clear. … lines were crossed and action must be taken. But after following the law, we move on,” he told reporters on March 20, according to several local media outlets.


“We shouldn’t continue discussing it as [if it is] a massive disaster. Take firm action and then move on.”


At an event the next day, the PM didn’t bring up the controversy but had harsh words, presumably for those who were dragging it on.


Anwar said that endless “jumud” (“ignorant”) and “lapuk” (“backward”) discussions would be an obstacle in the development of Malaysia, the New Straits Times reported.


Political analyst Syaza Shukri told BenarNews that UMNO was playing identity politics with ethnic Malay Muslims with its reaction to the socks controversy.


“Identity politics itself is not dangerous if the understanding of our differences can be managed by a competent leader,” Syaza, of the International Islamic University Malaysia, said.


“It becomes dangerous when the politicians instead of trying to solve problems only cause more problems. What we need are statesmen who see identity politics positively,” the associate professor at the Department of Political Science said.


Ethnic Malays comprise 70% of Malaysia’s population, ethnic Chinese 22.6% and ethnic Indians 6.6%.

The other three recent controversies pitched ethnic Malays against ethnic Chinese, although one of the three also involved the Indians community. Malaysia has been relatively peaceful since the 1969 race riots, but the two larger groups continue to view each other with deep suspicion.


Nga Kor Ming, the minister of Local Government Development, announced on Feb. 1 that the government was making plans to nominate three villages – called Chinese “new villages” – for UNESCO World Heritage status.


Malaysia’s former colonial British rulers had interned Malaysian-Chinese on suspicion of ties with Communists in these villages.


A couple of weeks later, the government gazette published an announcement that the heritage commissioner had named a Malaysian-Chinese herbal pork dish, bak kut teh, one among 10 national heritage objects.


The third controversy kicked off after the Federal Court ruled that vernacular schools were constitutional and rejected an appeal application by two NGOs to overturn a lower court’s decision that also ruled these schools legal.


Many Malays were up in arms that Chinese villages were being nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Status. They said there were many Malaysian villages that were much older. In fact some Malaysian-Chinese were also unhappy, saying there was no need to make what were basically internment camps into a heritage site.


As for bak kut teh, the hardline Islamist party PAS and UMNO were outraged that a pork-based dish was being given national heritage status in a largely Muslim country. Followers of Islam are not allowed to eat pork.


Many in the Malaysian-Chinese community, in turn, claimed that the majority Malays were suppressing the minorities.


Vernacular schools for the ethnic Chinese and the Tamil Indians caused divisions in the country, UMNO claimed. The party said that for racial harmony there needed to be an integrated education system. The ethnic Chinese and Indian communities said they sent their children to these schools so they could learn their language.


In the past, similar tussles have arisen over the celebration of Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Oktoberfest, among others.

For Azmil Mohd Tayeb, from the Universiti Sains Malaysia, these controversies are a sign of how polarized Malaysia has become.


“Different groups retreat into their respective shells and become easily triggered by any perceived slights to their identity,” the associate professor at the university’s School of Social Sciences told BenarNews.


He said these “ethno-religious” issues can turn dangerous and toxic if left to fester.


“People would simply focus on differences amongst them, which would deepen resentment and widen the polarization. It is dangerous and an affliction that Malaysia needs to slowly move away from,” he said.


These issues arise also because many don’t respect diversity, said S. Shashi Kumar, president of the Global Human Rights Foundation.


“The acts of racial and religious intolerance exacerbate tensions and divisions within society,” he told BenarNews.


“These acts not only showcase the ignorance and insensitivity of certain individuals but also highlight the need for greater understanding and respect for diversity in the country,” he said.


Meanwhile, as another observer sees it, “Excessive outrage” on social media can get out of control and lead to issues blowing up rather than blowing over.


According to Helen Ting Mu Hung, of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, disaffection exists because minorities are disproportionately targeted by the country’s laws.


“More problematically, those who expressed extreme views openly on the social media, especially those against minorities, get away scot-free, in contrast to those who criticized the majority or the authorities, some of whom have experienced the weight of law swiftl,” said the associate professor at the university’s Institute of Malaysian and International Studies.


“This lack of even-handedness may fail to appease a lingering sense of resentment especially when the event is viewed from a racial lens.”


In a 2018 report, “Outrage in Malaysia: The Politics of Taking Offence,” author Julian C. H. Lee said that in furores in the Southeast Asian country, “minority ethno-religious groups and individuals ostensibly caused offence to the majority Muslim Malay population.”


Lee said that the so-called offenses were characterized “as transgressions of genuine sensitivities.”


“[I] argue that politics of offence must be seen for the political utility it holds for those who claim to represent the majority group that has been putatively offended.”

https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...024162313.html