In Petaling Jaya, Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar emphasized the importance of learning from the incident involving the selling of socks with the word Allah printed on them by KK Super Mart and vendors. The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) highlighted that this issue is particularly sensitive, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. He expressed his disappointment over the matter, stating that the act of putting Allah on socks is a significant insult to Muslims that cannot be disregarded. He urged for greater vigilance in monitoring goods brought in from abroad to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar stressed that the issue cannot be taken lightly and that Muslims have the right to feel offended by such actions. He acknowledged the apology issued by KK Super Mart but emphasized the need for greater sensitivity and accountability in handling products that could potentially offend religious sentiments. He emphasized that forgiveness for such a sensitive matter is challenging, and urged for respect towards the feelings of the Muslim community in dealing with this issue.
The Minister revealed that he had instructed the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to summon the management of KK Super Mart to address the matter. He called for a thorough investigation and emphasized the importance of avoiding any repetition of such actions in the future, especially concerning issues related to race, religion, and royalty. The management of the store had issued an apology during a press conference, expressing regret over the oversight in selling the socks with the word Allah printed on them.
KK Super Mart founder Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai humbly apologized to all Malaysians, particularly those from the Muslim faith, for this oversight. He clarified that the product management was handled by a vendor through a rental system at their convenience stores, without direct supervision from KK Super Mart employees. Inspections conducted at 800 branches nationwide revealed that only three outlets carried the controversial socks, with 14 pairs bearing the word Allah. The owner of the vendor company, Soh Chin Huat, admitted to overlooking the imported socks from China among a large shipment of various designs.
Soh Chin Huat acknowledged his oversight and expressed remorse for not conducting a thorough inspection of each item before stocking them. He vowed to be more cautious when importing products from abroad in the future to prevent similar incidents from happening again. The incident served as a wake-up call for the vendor company, prompting them to be more diligent and attentive in their product selection and inspection processes.
