Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a store owned by a Malaysian chain that had sold socks with the word “Allah,” police stated on Saturday.
The incident occurred shortly after the company's executives were accused of offending religious sentiments by selling the socks at another store.
Wan Mohamad Zahari Wan Busu, police chief in Kuantan city in Malaysia’s east, stated that the KK Supermart branch was attacked just before dawn, causing a small fire at the entrance.
He informed AFP that the incident is “still under investigation, but we’re not denying that it may be related to the incident involving stockings with the word Allah”.
Employees extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher and no injuries were reported, he mentioned.
Images of the socks circulated on social media this month, causing outrage among some Muslims who found them disrespectful, particularly as they were offered for sale during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Islam is the official religion in Malaysia and Malay-Muslims make up over two-thirds of the 34 million population.
Racial and religious issues are sensitive topics in Malaysia, which experienced deadly racial riots in 1969.
KK Super Mart CEO Chai Kee Kan, 57, and his wife, a company director, were brought to court this week for “deliberately intending to hurt the religious feelings” of Malaysians, as stated in a charge sheet seen by AFP.
Three individuals from supplier Xin Jian Chang were also charged with abetting them.
All five pleaded not guilty and could face a maximum jail term of one year or a fine, or both, if found guilty.
The case prompted a rare rebuke from Malaysia’s king, who urged an investigation and “strict action” against any party found guilty.
KK Supermart, Malaysia’s second-largest mini-market chain, has expressed remorse for the socks, asserting that it takes the matter “seriously” and has taken immediate steps to halt their sale.
Supplier Xin Jian Chang also issued an apology, explaining that the “problematic socks were part of a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered” from a China-based company.
by Agence France-Presse
