KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Political leaders should build bridges in fostering unity in the country and resolving issues effectively, said DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.
He said it was important for leaders to steer clear from inflaming sensitive issues, like the recent controversy surrounding the sale of socks bearing the word ‘Allah’ at KK Mart stores.
“We as political leaders must try to build bridges to resolve the issue and lower down the temperature. That’s the approach we adopt as both a party and government, ensuring we do not blow issues out of proportion,” he told reporters after presenting a mock cheque to TAR UMT here today.
Loke said he shared this perspective with Umno president Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during a recent iftar hosted by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, for the leaders of the Unity Government and foreign representatives at Istana Negara.
Loke said this in response to the remarks made by Umno Youth chief Dr. Muhamad Akmal Salleh, who condemned KK Mart for selling the socks in their supermarkets and called on the public to boycott the supermarket chain unless they provide a written apology.
Loke, who is also the transport minister, expressed his disagreement with Dr. Muhamad Akmal’s approach citing KK Mart’s apology and acknowledgement of their mistake.
“On receiving the apology, it is important to address the matter diligently and foster reconciliation. We believe that such sensitive issues require careful and prudent handling.
“I personally contacted the founder of KK Mart, Datuk Seri KK Chai, who I am familiar with and arranged a meeting with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
“In fact, Datuk Seri KK Chai met with Jakim director-general to provide an explanation and engage in discussions. So, there is an ongoing process involving religious authorities to investigate the incident,” he said.
Earlier, a photo of socks bearing the word “Allah” being sold at KK Mart Bandar Sunway went viral after it was shared on social media on March 13.
Following that, various parties came forward to criticise the action of the convenience store before its founder and supplier company held a press conference on March 16 to offer their apology and assure that the sale of the product had ceased. — Bernama
