PETALING JAYA: The Umno Youth division has called for convenience store chain KK Mart to display banners apologising for the socks issue at all 881 stores nationwide.
Umno Youth chief Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh warned the convenience store chain that there would be a “stronger boycott” if their demands are not met within two days, the New Straits Times reported.
“I will instruct Umno leaders to go and check if all the branches of the convenience store have put up the banner or otherwise,“ Akmal said.
He also lodged a police report over the incident at the Merlimau Police Station at 10.30pm on Saturday (March 16).
It was further reported that Akmal wants the police to investigate the issue under Section 298(A) of the Penal Code (for causing disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing, the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion).
“We should not let the matter slip away just because someone cried (when apologising over the incident).
“We want to call on all Malaysians to teach them a lesson,“ he added, also quoted as saying that the discovery of the socks had “crossed the line.”
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The convenience store chain had earlier issued an apology on its Facebook page on Wednesday (March 13).
The apology was issued on the same day the images of the socks with Allah inscribed on them went viral on social media. The images were said to have been taken at KK Mart’s Bandar Sunway branch.
KK Mart, in its apology, assured that the socks were taken off the shelves immediately.
“This is a consignment product from the vendor. We have also contacted the vendors involved for further explanation,” the apology wrote.
The vendor that supplied the socks also issued an apology and admitted to not conducting a thorough inspection of the products shipped from China.
“We will be more careful and sensitive (to issues like these) in the future,” the statement read.
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KK Group founder and executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai apologised on Saturday and mentioned that the socks were found in only three outlets after an inspection in all outlets nationwide.
“Checks at our 800 branches found three premises with the products including Bandar Sunway that went viral, and fortunately, none of them have been sold,“ he said, reported the New Straits Times.
