KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 19 — The vendor of the “Allah” socks that were sold at convenience store chain KK Mart clarified that the socks were mistakenly included in a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs that they ordered from the supplier and discovered that only five pairs from the bulk had the word “Allah,” not 14 as previously reported.
Xin Jiang Chang Sdn Bhd said they are seeking advice on whether they can take legal action against their China-based supplier Mu Mian Qing Hosiery Co Ltd for supplying the five pairs.
“We have already contacted our China-based supplier to seek an explanation, and they have admitted that the problematic socks were included in the bulk of stocks we purchased by mistake.
“We are currently seeking legal advice to explore possible legal actions against the supplier for their negligence in fulfilling our order requirements,” Xin Jiang Chang Sdn Bhd said in a statement today.
The company apologised for the mistake and highlighted that they did not order such socks.
"We sincerely apologize for any offense or distress caused by this regrettable incident. It was never our intention to produce or distribute products that could incite division or hurt sentiments within our community.
“We acknowledge the lessons learned from this incident and are implementing stricter quality control measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” it said.
However, Xin Jiang Chang Sdn Bhd also expressed concerns over the safety of their officers citing disseminated personal data on social media and having received violent threats that include burning down the factory and endangering lives.
“We urge fellow Malaysians to remain calm and refrain from engaging in any form of vigilantism or violence and allow the relevant authorities to carry out their investigation following the law,” the company said in the statement.
The Home Ministry yesterday said it will continue probing convenience store chain KK Mart over the sale of socks with the word "Allah" printed on it, despite the store’s apology on the matter, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah told Parliament.
Shamsul said that 36 police reports have already been lodged to date and one investigation paper has been opened under Section 298A of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Section 298A handles “causing disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion”, punishable with imprisonment between two and five years.
Section 233 meanwhile is on the improper use of network facilities or network service.
National news agency Bernama reported that the socks were sold at KK Mart in Bandar Sunway and the issue had gone viral on social media since March 13.
KK Mart Group founder and executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai has since apologised over the issue.
