Socks issue: Police propose criminal charges against KK Mart, supplier
Published: Mar 22, 2024 11:37 AM
Police have wrapped up their investigations into the incident of socks bearing the word Allah, which were sold at a KK Mart in Bandar Sunway, Selangor recently.
According to Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, investigators have forwarded their investigation papers to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) and are awaiting further instructions.
The police proposed that criminal charges be brought against both KK Mart and its local supplier Xin Jiang Chang over the incident, he told a press conference this morning.
“Both. KK Mart and its supplier,” Shuhaily said when asked whether charges would be pressed against either KK Mart or a factory in Johor that supplied socks to them.
To complete their investigations into the incident, police have recorded statements from a total of 174 individuals.
Among them were KK Mart staff, Shuhaily said, ranging from employees attached to its headquarters office, outlet assistants, to lorry drivers.
“We went through their procurement process, whether there were quality checks and such. We study all these before forwarding the investigation papers to the prosecution.”
The controversial ‘Allah’ socks
Shuhaily said during their probe, police found 14 socks bearing the word Allah in total. The socks were returned by KK Mart outlets to the supplier.
Asked whether there are more such socks out there, the senior cop said there was no such indication so far.
‘Don’t use the socks’
In the event there is, Shuhaily advised those who might have bought the socks to bring them to the police and assist in the investigation.
“I advise them not to use the socks. Even if he or she is not a Muslim, if they wear the socks it will anger the Muslims further.
“So if anyone had mistakenly bought the socks, please surrender them to the police and tell us from which store you purchased them.
“And if they bought the socks from other stores, come and lodge a police report. Do not take photos and make it viral (on social media), which is very irresponsible,” he said.
The controversy surfaced last week when images of the socks bearing the words Allah being sold at the Bandar Sunway outlet of the KK Mart went viral on social media.
Following the uproar, KK Mart issued an apology to all its customers, particularly the Muslim community, and confirmed that immediate action had been taken to halt the sale of the socks.
This included terminating its contract with Xin Jian Chang.
The supplier had, in turn, blamed manufacturers in China for wrongly sending the socks to it, which it then overlooked.
Shuhaily said during their probe, police found 14 socks bearing the word Allah in total. The socks were returned by KK Mart outlets to the supplier.
Asked whether there are more such socks out there, the senior cop said there was no such indication so far.
‘Don’t use the socks’
In the event there is, Shuhaily advised those who might have bought the socks to bring them to the police and assist in the investigation.
“I advise them not to use the socks. Even if he or she is not a Muslim, if they wear the socks it will anger the Muslims further.
“So if anyone had mistakenly bought the socks, please surrender them to the police and tell us from which store you purchased them.
“And if they bought the socks from other stores, come and lodge a police report. Do not take photos and make it viral (on social media), which is very irresponsible,” he said.
The controversy surfaced last week when images of the socks bearing the words Allah being sold at the Bandar Sunway outlet of the KK Mart went viral on social media.
Following the uproar, KK Mart issued an apology to all its customers, particularly the Muslim community, and confirmed that immediate action had been taken to halt the sale of the socks.
This included terminating its contract with Xin Jian Chang.
The supplier had, in turn, blamed manufacturers in China for wrongly sending the socks to it, which it then overlooked.
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