Malaysia: Executives of mini-mart charged over ‘Allah’ written on socks

In Malaysia, a court pressed charges against five executives from a convenience store chain and its supplier for offending religious sentiments. This followed the sale of socks with the word "Allah" written on it, sparking public outrage, particularly among Muslims during Ramadan.

The chief executive of KK Super Mart and his wife, a company director, faced accusations of intentionally causing religious offence in the predominantly Muslim country, as outlined in a charge sheet obtained by AFP.

Three individuals from the supplier Xin Jian Chang faced charges for allegedly aiding the crime. All pleaded not guilty and could face a maximum sentence of one year in jail or a fine, or both, if convicted.

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KK Super Mart issued an apology for the socks, stating it took the matter seriously and halted sales immediately. Similarly, Xin Jian Chang apologised, attributing the problematic socks to a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered from a Chinese company, with only five pairs bearing the sensitive word.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Masri Mohamad Daud announced the next hearing for April 29, with the five executives released on bail. Malaysia, where Islam is the official religion and Malay-Muslims constitute the majority, faces complexities concerning race and religion.

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The country's history includes deadly racial riots in 1969. Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandarrecently stressedon the importance of social harmony, urging Malaysians to avoid discussions on sensitive topics such as religion, race, and royalty. He asserted that errors in these areas, whether intentional or not, cannot be tolerated.

(With inputs from agencies)