PETALING JAYA: Johor regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has urged the authorities to take stern action over the sale of socks bearing the word “Allah”.
In a post on X, Tunku Ismail said the word “Allah” was sacred for Muslims.
“I urge the authorities to take stern action on the matter and ensure that such issues will not recur.
“This issue cannot be taken lightly. I take this matter seriously and hope that it will not disrupt the harmony of the country,” he said.
The controversy arose after photographs of the socks, sold at KK Mart’s Bandar Sunway store, appeared on social media last Wednesday.
On Saturday, the company apologised and expressed regret over the matter.
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh however said KK Mart should put up banners at all 881 of its stores nationwide to apologise for the sale of the socks, threatening a stronger boycott should it fail to comply.
In response, MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon urged Akmal to calm down and not to encourage a public boycott of KK Mart.
DAP Youth chief Dr Kelvin Yii meanwhile said he understood the sensitivity of the issue, but that any escalation or excessive threats would affect the local economy and racial harmony.
Akmal however told them to meet with the country’s Malay community to understand their feelings about the sale of the socks.
He also said that since MCA and DAP had been established for more than six decades, both parties should be fully aware of the reverence that Muslims have for the word “Allah”.
On Sunday, religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar urged Muslims to remain calm and allow the authorities to investigate the sale of the socks.
Deputy home minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah yesterday told the Dewan Rakyat that the police had opened an investigation paper on the matter, after 36 reports were received.
