The vendor of the "Allah" socks sold at KK Mart clarified that the socks were mistakenly included in a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered from the supplier. They discovered that only five pairs from the bulk had the word "Allah," not 14 as previously reported. Xin Jiang Chang Sdn Bhd, the vendor, is considering 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.
The company apologized for the mistake, emphasizing that they did not order such socks. They expressed regret for any offense or distress caused by the incident and stated that it was never their intention to produce or distribute products that could incite division or hurt sentiments within the community. The company acknowledged the lessons learned from this incident and stated that they are implementing stricter quality control measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
However, Xin Jiang Chang Sdn Bhd also raised concerns about the safety of their officers, citing disseminated personal data on social media and receiving violent threats, including threats to burn down the factory and endanger lives. They urged Malaysians to remain calm and refrain from engaging in vigilantism or violence, and instead, allow the relevant authorities to carry out their investigation according to the law.
The Home Ministry stated that it will continue to probe convenience store chain KK Mart over the sale of socks with the word "Allah" printed on them, despite the store's apology. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah informed Parliament that 36 police reports have 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 deals with 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 concerns the improper use of network facilities or network service.
The socks were sold at KK Mart in Bandar Sunway, and the issue went viral on social media since March 13. KK Mart Group founder and executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr KK Chai has apologized over the issue.
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