Malaysian mini-mart executive charged for writing ‘Allah’ on socks

Three officials were charged with abetting the crime. (representative)

Shah Alam:

A Malaysian court on Tuesday charged five executives of a small supermarket chain and its suppliers with hurting religious sentiments after one of its stores sold pairs of socks emblazoned with the word “Allah”. The case drew a rare royal rebuke from Malaysia’s king, who called for an investigation and “severe action” against any party found guilty.

Photos of the socks circulated on social media, sparking public outrage as some Muslims consider them insulting, especially as their sales take place during the holy month of Ramadan.

Chai Kee Kan, the 57-year-old chief executive of local chain KK Super Mart, and his wife, who is a company director, are accused of “intentionally hurting religious sentiments” in the Muslim-majority country, AFP reports .

Three officials from supplier Xinjian Chang were charged with abetting the crime.

All have pleaded not guilty to the charges and face up to a year in jail or a fine, or both, if convicted.

KK Supermarket has apologized for the sock issue, saying it takes the matter “seriously” and has taken immediate action to stop sales.

Supplier Xinjian Chang also issued an apology, saying “the socks in question were part of a bulk shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered from a Chinese company.”

It is said that “Only Five Pairs of Socks” contains sensitive words.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Masri Mohamad Daud told reporters that the next hearing will be held on April 29. Five executives have been released on bail.

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, and Malay Muslims make up more than two-thirds of the country’s 34 million people.

Race and religion are thorny issues in the country, which was the scene of deadly race riots in 1969.

In a rebuke, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar last week reminded Malaysians not to discuss sensitive issues such as religion, race and royalty to ensure social harmony.

He said mistakes regarding religion and race cannot be tolerated “whether intentional or unintentional.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)