JOHOR BARU, July 26 — Johor Ruler Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim today spoke out against racial discrimination after a viral video clip showed a grocery store in the state allegedly offering food aid according to race.

He stressed that food aid for those in need must be done in a sincere manner for all, and not according to racial or religious background.

Sultan Ibrahim said that the current hard times affected everyone.

"If you want to help, please be sincere by helping anyone in need. Do not discriminate along ethnic lines,” he said in a posting on his official Facebook page today.

His comments came after a video clip went viral on social media, showing the owners of a grocery shop in Taman Universiti, Skudai offering food aid to the needy, but allegedly preventing those from a particular race from taking the necessities.

In his post, Sultan Ibrahim reminded the public of the importance of unity and tolerance.

"Our unity is the backbone of our society. The Sultan Ibrahim of Johor Foundation (SIJF), for example, hands out food aid to all Johoreans every week, regardless of race or religion.

"The intention is to help all who are in need. The issue of race or religion should never arise,” said the 63-year-old monarch.

Meanwhile, checks by Malay Mail showed that the grocery store owners issued a public apology in the form of a two-minute-and-eight-second video clip yesterday.

The clip was featured in a post on community Facebook page Kongsi Segala Info where two men, believed to be the store owners, admitted their mistake, and said their food bank is now open to all.