UMNO is Using Youth Wing To Bully Chinese And Play Race & Religious Cards

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Get real, as a businessman and a chartered accountant, it would be extremely dumb to provoke the hyper sensitive Malay-Muslims with such product. It also doesn’t make business sense that it was only sold in three branches if the intention was to insult the Malay and Islam. The profit from the socks does not commensurate with the risk even if it was sold nationwide, let alone in just 3 stores.

UMNO Youth Chief Muhammad Akmal Salleh has gone mad again. His latest target is KK Super Mart, a local convenience store established in 2001 by Dr KK Chai (Chai Kee Kan). Companies under the KK Group include B Café International, Clara International, The Slimming Sanctuary, Hornets Marketing Sdn Bhd, KK Motorsports, and KK Kopitiam and Food Court.

With operations in Brunei, China, Nepal, and India, the KK Group also manufactures its own skincare, body care, hair care, and toiletry products. Not only the founder has been the president of the Kuala Lumpur Chinese Assembly Hall since 2015, he is also the vice president of the Malaysian Retail Chain Association (MRCA) since 2016 and vice president of the Malaysia-Moroccan Business Association since 2019.
 
As a certified chartered accountant of the Chartered Institute & Management Accountant (CIMA) and Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA), he knew exactly what to do when a branch of his convenience store was discovered to be selling socks with the Arabic inscription of Allah on them. The founder promptly and decisively apologized, urging consumers not to boycott his brand.

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Stop KK Mart boycott, Zaid tells Anwar after ‘Allah’ socks controversy

PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to put a stop to Umno’s call for a boycott of KK Mart convenience stores over the sale of socks bearing the word “Allah”.

Zaid said the prime minister “must now speak up”, as the issue of a boycott was not a small matter.

“It’s OK to be angry when Islam is insulted, but one has to direct the anger at the proper source.

“Is the boycott a rational act? Is it proportionate to the offence? Have the investigations been completed to find the offender?” he said in a post on X.

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 incident.

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh however said KK Mart should put up banners at all of its 881 stores nationwide to apologise for the sale of the socks, threatening a stronger boycott should it fail to comply.

He also said the apology from KK Mart was insufficient to “close the chapter” on the matter and that firm action was needed to “serve as a lesson for others”.

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Rafidah hits out at ‘rabble-rouser’ Akmal over ‘Allah’ socks issue

PETALING JAYA: A former Wanita Umno chief has hit out at Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh’s behaviour following the controversy sparked by the sale of socks bearing the word “Allah”.

Rafidah Aziz said even Prophet Muhammad had shown “exemplary restrained behaviour” when confronted by those who were hostile towards him. She said Prophet Muhammad did not allow his ego to get in the way.

“If people like the Umno Youth chief cannot even try to emulate our great Prophet , in terms of how he treated others, then Akmal has not upheld what Islam expects of him,” she told FMT.

Akmal had previously dismissed an apology made by the convenience store chain KK Mart after photographs of the socks, sold at a KK Mart store, appeared on social media. He deemed the apology insufficient, and pushed for a boycott. Akmal, who is the assemblyman for Merlimau, Melaka, also said he was willing to lose his post to defend Islam.

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Ex-MP, academic slam Umno for backing Akmal

PETALING JAYA: A former Umno MP and an academic have slammed the Umno Supreme Council for giving youth wing chief Dr Akmal Saleh its full backing over his actions in regards to the “Allah” socks issue.

Former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail and Tajuddin Rasdi of UCSI University said Umno was bordering on taking advantage of the issue for political points.

They called for all parties to wait for the outcome of investigations into the matter and for the appropriate punishment on those at fault to be decided by the authorities, not Umno.

The pair also urged Malaysians to ignore Akmal’s call to boycott KK Mart convenience stores over the issue.

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Stop exploiting socks issue, Mydin boss urges Akmal

PETALING JAYA: Mydin hypermarket boss Ameer Ali Mydin has urged Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh to stop exploiting the “Allah” socks issue for political mileage.

“Why is he still kicking up a fuss?,” Ameer Ali Mydin told FMT.

“Political parties should distance themselves from 3R (race, royalty and religion) issues and we should not pour oil on the flames.”

He said Akmal’s campaign for a public boycott of KK Mart, despite the chain having issued an apology, would affect investor confidence and the livelihoods of the workers, a majority of whom were Malay-Muslims.

“Both KK Mart and the vendor have apologised. What else do you expect them to do?” Ameer said.

Ameer, who is president of the Bumiputera Retailers Association, acknowledged that the issue was a serious matter.

However, he said, there was no need for the issue to be escalated, especially by those who were seeking to benefit from it politically.

Ameer is the latest to take Akmal to task over his conduct in this matter.

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[superadmin]

Where is the red line?

Listen, just because one uses God as the basis of one’s actions, that does not justify breaking the law or inciting hatred and asking people to boycott and destroy businesses in the country.

There must be limits to your anger.

First, you asked the Chinese trader to apologise, and they did. Then, you revoked the factory licence of their supplier, and they are now out of business.

Then you said the boycott would continue. Then, the whole of Umno gave full backing to Umno Youth’s crazy demands.

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Scholars, ex-civil servants, activists sign up to slam Umno over socks issue

PETALING JAYA: A statement hitting out at Umno over the party’s stand on the “Allah” socks issue has received the support of 21 more people, including prominent civil society members, former civil servants and academics.

The statement was initially issued by former Umno MP Tawfik Ismail and Tajuddin Rasdi last night, after the Umno Supreme Council said it fully supported the actions of youth wing chief Dr Akmal Saleh regarding the issue.

Akmal has repeatedly called for a boycott of the KK Mart chain, although senior political leaders have urged that the issue not be prolonged.

The 21 individuals who signed off on the statement include academics Teh Yik Koon and Lim Teck Ghee, as well as former civil servants KJ John, Johan Ariffin Samad and ⁠M Santhananaban.

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LFL decries alleged double standards in prosecutions in socks controversy

LAWYERS for Liberty (LFL) group director Zaid Malek referred to the jailing and fines imposed on two individuals, namely Chiok Wai Loong and Ricky Shane Cagampang for their comments on the ‘Allah’ socks controversy, saying such actions reek of double standards.

“Why are ‘big shots’ and vigilantes allowed to walk free by fanning the flame on the socks bearing the word ‘Allah’ issue, while unknown individuals get jailed for commenting on the issue online,” he asked in a statement today.

He also stated the long sentencing of six months for a first-time offender is excessive, adding that “Courts must decide cases based upon facts and disregard the publicity surrounding a case. It is hoped that the High Court will step in under its revisionary jurisdiction to set aside the excessive sentence.”

He noted that Chiok, whose personal details were also leaked online, was not represented by a lawyer during his charge and questioned whether the National Legal Aid Foundation or the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre were informed if Chiok could not afford a lawyer.

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Shame on you, says Zaid to scholars silent in socks debacle

PETALING JAYA: Former Kota Bharu MP Zaid Ibrahim has taken aim at Muslim academics who have been silent over the reactions to the “Allah” socks issue, lamenting a lack of compassion over the controversy.

Zaid said Islam, as taught by Prophet Muhammad, was a compassionate and merciful religion.

“All other varieties, including those shown by the people in this Madani government in the socks fray, are not true Islam,” he said in a posting on X (formerly Twitter).

“Unfortunately, we still have thousands of the so-called scholars whose salaries are paid by the people yet keep their mouths shut. Are they not ashamed of themselves?” he said.

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‘Bully’ Akmal won’t dare go after China, says academic

PETALING JAYA: An academic says Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh will not go to the extent of pursuing an apology from China regarding the “Allah” socks issue despite calling for a boycott of convenience chain store KK Mart over the matter.

Speaking to FMT, Tajuddin Rasdi of UCSI University said Akmal was unlikely to summon the Chinese ambassador following a challenge by Tuaran MP Wilfred Madius Tangau for him to demand an apology from China for allowing the manufacturer to produce the socks.

“A bully will always pick on a smaller person,” Tajuddin said.

“He may continue to dwell on the issue because he doesn’t care about the future consequences or the welfare of (KK Mart’s) workers.

“That’s no longer just being a bully; that’s being an opportunist.”

In a statement yesterday, Tangau said Akmal should press foreign minister and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan to summon China’s ambassador for an explanation if Malaysia does not get a satisfactory answer.

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