KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has declared his commitment to defending the country’s unity and harmony and tempering the "Allah” socks controversy.

His statement follows an earlier audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Negara here today.

"I will uphold the decree on the advice of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to maintain the harmony of the country and preserve the purity of the Islamic religion to calm the ongoing polemic.

"I pray that His Majesty will be blessed with strength and good health and continue to rule the country with full sovereignty and glory,” he said in a post on his official Facebook page today.

However, it is not known what reconciliatory action Dr Akmal will take, especially when it comes to his call for a nationwide boycott of the KK Super Mart convenience store chain.

Earlier, the Merlimau assemblyman was part of an entourage of Umno and DAP leaders who paid a visit to the King at Istana Negara.

Sultan Ibrahim had granted an audience to several ruling political leaders, namely Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, DAP leader Liew Chin Tong, as well as Dr Akmal.

During the audience, Sultan Ibrahim advised the country’s political leaders to set an example for harmonious relations by working to bridge religious, racial and cultural differences instead of adding to the division.

The King urged the political leaders not to be extreme when giving their views on religious and racial issues.

Dr Akmal was among the most vocal critics of KK Super Mart when the convenience store chain was caught up in a controversy over the sale of socks with the word "Allah” embroidered on them.

Only five pairs of the socks from over 18,000 imported from China were found to have the word "Allah”, suggesting the incident had likely been coincidental. The owners of the chain stores have since apologised but have been charged for "intentionally hurting the feelings of Muslims”.

Despite the apology, Dr Akmal was adamant and called for a nationwide boycott of KK Super Mart outlets.

He has since been under police investigation for sedition.

In a recent incident involving a shoe sole with an alleged "Allah” inscription, Dr Akmal took a different approach and accepted the company’s explanation on the issue.

It was reported last Sunday that Dr Akmal accepted the shoe company, Vern’s Holding Sdn Bhd’s, clarification over the issue saying it was reasonable.

He further commended the company for their immediate response showing their professionalism and understanding of Muslim sensitivities.