KOTA KINABALU: Dr Akmal Saleh, the youth wing chief of Umno, has been instructed by the party’s leadership to cease raising the issue of KK Mart and its controversial sale of socks bearing the word “Allah, according to Sabah Umno chief, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
As reported in the FMT, Bung said that Akmal was directed to stand down after it was discovered that KK Mart had no control over the supply of the socks and had promptly issued an apology.
Bung emphasised that the directive for Akmal to stop was not a matter of agreement or disagreement with his stance, as Umno had already conveyed this during a recent meeting.
He further highlighted that both party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the king had called for an end to the issue.
The controversy surrounding KK Mart began when images of socks with the word “Allah” at one of their outlets in Bandar Sunway circulated on social media on March 13.
Despite the company’s apology, Akmal continued to advocate for a nationwide boycott of the convenience store chain.
This drew criticism from various quarters, including former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who urged Akmal to halt his criticism of KK Mart, stating that he had already made his point.
The founders and directors of KK Mart, Chai Kee Kan and Loh Siew Mui, are currently on trial for intentionally hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims through the sale of these socks.