The founder of a prominent Malaysian convenience store chain has been charged in connection with the sale of socks featuring the word Allah.
Chai Kee Kan, along with his wife Loh Siew Mui, who serves as a company director, faced accusations of “wounding the religious feelings of others” and entered a plea of not guilty.
If convicted, they could face a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
The socks in question stirred controversy two weeks ago, leading to calls for a boycott of the chain.
KK Super Mart and their Malaysian supplier, Xin Jian Chang, issued apologies and removed the socks from their shelves.
However, the situation escalated as images of the socks circulated online, prompting backlash and drawing criticism from Malaysia’s king and political figures.
Police received nearly 200 complaints related to the issue.
The use of the word Allah, which holds sacred significance in Islam, by non-Muslims has been a sensitive topic in Malaysia.
While the country’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Islam is the official religion, and a majority of its population is Malay-Muslim.
Malaysia’s king, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, condemned the chain’s actions and called for decisive measures against those involved, emphasizing that mistakes regarding religious and racial matters are unacceptable.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also urged for firm action while discouraging extensive discussion of the issue.
KK Mart, a well-established Malaysian chain with numerous stores nationwide, has taken legal action against Xin Jian Chang for alleged loss of profits and damage to its brand.
The company claimed that the controversy forced it to cancel plans for a stock market listing.
Additionally, two directors of the supplier, Soh Chin Huat and Koh Lee Hui, were charged with abetment in the case.
The supplier is reportedly contemplating legal action against the Chinese company that supplied the socks.
Source-BBC
