KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing today urged Umno leaders to restrain the party's Youth chief over the latter's continued attacks against convenience store KK Mart, as he accused Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh of stoking racial tension by harping on the controversy around the sale of socks with the word “Allah” embroidered on them.
Tiong alleged Dr Akmal was only “adding fuel to the fire” by calling on the country's Muslims to boycott the popular convenience chain even as the company has already issued a public apology.
“Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh shouldn't ride on the issue for personal political gains that in the end would only damage harmony among the country's multi-cultural people,” the minister wrote on his Facebook page.
“The company did not only apologise immediately, in fact, had acted swiftly to remove the product from their shelves in all their stores. As such all parties shouldn't add fuel to the fire and instead let KK Mart make amends.”
KK Mart Group founder and executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai said immediately after the issue blew up that the company was not aware the socks sold in their stores had “Allah” written on them, and vowed to cooperate with the authorities.
However, this morning Dr Akmal called on Muslims to boycott the convenience store as he continued to pile pressure on the company despite calls from various parties, including his political allies, to refrain from issuing comments that could worsen the tense situation.
Umno and Barisan Nasional were the biggest losers in the 15th general election, winning the least number of seats between the three main political blocs in a defeat that analysts said underpinned popular rejection of the once-dominant political coalition. BN has struggled to win ethnic minority support over the last three decades.
Tiong called on Umno senior leaders to restrain Dr Akmal.
“With great hope I urged the Umno leadership to view this matter seriously and prevent Dr Akmal from using the party's youth wing as a platform to serve his personal agenda,” the minister said.
Yesterday, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, had accused Dr Akmal of violating the “Madani spirit” with his response to the issue.
Nga suggested that Akmal should refrain from stirring up religious and racial sentiments saying that was an outdated tactic and may backfire on Umno.
Last Saturday, Dr Akmal filed a report against KK Mart's management at the Merlimau police station in Melaka at 10.30pm. The day after, he demanded that KK Mart's management publicly apologise for selling socks featuring the word “Allah” within two days by displaying a nationwide banner at all 881 branches of the store.
