King tells Malaysians not to prolong ‘Allah socks’ row after KK Super Mart boss apologises to him
- Chai Kee Kan, who is charged with two counts of wounding the religious sensitivities of Muslims, apologised to king Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar over the scandal
- The monarch warned all parties to be more careful regarding products being sold, saying ‘this should not happen again’
Sultan Ibrahim, who granted an audience to the founder and executive chairman of KK Super Mart, Dr Chai Kee Kan, reiterated that no party should take advantage of this matter, including inciting others.
“I do not want this issue to be prolonged,” Sultan Ibrahim decreed to the Royal Press Office.
During the 15-minute audience at Istana Negara (national palace), Chai sought the king’s forgiveness and apologised to him over the sale of socks with the word “Allah” printed on them.
Chai also apologised to the Muslim community.
Sultan Ibrahim also warned all parties, including KK Super Mart, to be more careful regarding products being sold, especially imported goods, to avoid the issue from recurring.
“All parties must be more responsible. This should not happen again. I hope this is the last time I have to stress on this,” Sultan Ibrahim decreed.
The chain has been mired in controversy since March 13 after the controversial socks were discovered in the Bandar Sunway outlet near Kuala Lumpur.
Chai and his wife, Loh Siew Mui, have been charged with two counts of intentionally wounding the religious sensitivities of Muslims over the distribution and sale of the socks.
The couple had pleaded not guilty.
Anwar also warned that racial and religious must not be used to disrupt order in the country.
Inspector General of Police Razarudin Husain has vowed that stern action would be taken against those who vandalise KK Super Mart and that investigations were ongoing to identify the perpetrators, warning the public against taking matters into their own hands.
