PETALING JAYA: Police have arrested the owner of a car workshop on Tuesday for allegedly making death threats against Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh.
Melaka Tengah police chief Christopher Patit said the 68-year-old suspect was arrested in Kandang after a report was made by a pensioner over the threat.
Christopher said the complainant informed the police that he was at a workshop in Bukit Duyong last week when the suspect expressed his disapproval against the Merlimau assemblyman’s reaction to the “Allah” socks issue.
“The suspect told the complainant that Akmal has gone overboard with the KK Mart issue and that one day, he (Akmal) would get shot to death over it.
“The complainant (claimed that) he remained silent and ignored the suspect’s remarks before filing a report over the death threat as he was worried for Akmal’s safety,” Christopher said in a statement, as reported by Sinar Harian.
Christopher said the suspect had admitted to telling the complainant about his frustration with Akmal’s remarks on the controversy involving convenience store chain KK Mart.
“However, the suspect has been released on police bail due to health problems and the case is being probed under Section 506 of the Penal Code (for criminal intimidation),” he added.
Section 506 allows for imprisonment of up to seven years upon conviction.
The controversy over the ‘Allah’ socks began when photographs were circulated on social media showing the socks sold at a KK Mart shop in Bandar Sunway on March 13.
Despite the company having issued an apology, Akmal has continued to publicly campaign for a nationwide boycott of KK Mart.
His actions have drawn criticism from many quarters, with former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin telling Akmal to stop hitting out at KK Mart as “you have (already) gotten your point across”.
He said Akmal should now take a step back and let the law take its course.
KK Mart’s founder and director, Chai Kee Kan and Loh Siew Mui, have been charged in court for intentionally wounding the religious feelings of Muslims by selling the socks, while three officers from Xin Jiang Chang Sdn Bhd, the company which supplied the socks, were charged with abetting.
