KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—The owners of a Malaysian convenience store chain and one of its suppliers were charged Tuesday with offending the religious feelings of Muslims after socks printed with the word “Allah” were found for sale on its shelves.
A customer walks out from KK Mart convenience store in Puchong area on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The owners of a Malaysian convenience store chain were charged Tuesday with deliberately wounding the religious feelings of others after socks with the word “Allah” were found sold in some outlets.
“The word ‘Allah’ is highly esteemed in the eyes of Muslims,” Minister for Religious Affairs Mohamad Na’im Mokhtar was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency earlier this month. “Allah is our creator and the act of putting Allah at our feet is an insult.” The founder of the supplier that provided the socks, Xin Jian Chang, as well as his wife and daughter who are directors were also charged with abetting the offence. Xin Jian Chang has said the socks were imported from China as part of a large shipment and apologized for being careless in their inspection.KK Mart is a major 24-hour chain, with 810 stores domestically and some 5,000 employees. It also has outlets in Nepal and India.