'Allah' socks: KK Mart vendor says received threats of violence
Published on: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
By: FMT
Controversy arose after photographs of socks bearing the word ‘Allah’, sold at KK Mart’s Bandar Sunway store, appeared on social media last Wednesday. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: The vendor of convenience store chain KK Mart says it is considering legal action for negligence against its supplier in China following the discovery of socks bearing the word “Allah”.
Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, a local company based in Johor, said it had contacted its supplier for an explanation, and that the supplier admitted the socks were included in stock purchased “by mistake”.
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“We are currently seeking legal advice to explore possible legal action against the supplier for its negligence in fulfilling our order requirements,” Xin Jian Chang said in a statement.
It said a preliminary internal investigation found that the socks were part of a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered from a company based in China’s Zhejiang province.
Controversy arose after photographs of the socks, sold at KK Mart’s Bandar Sunway store, appeared on social media last Wednesday.
On Saturday, KK Mart apologised and expressed regret over the incident.
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“We deeply regret any oversight in our quality control process that allowed these items to enter our inventory, despite our best efforts to ensure that all 18,800 socks received from our Chinese supplier were in accordance with the provided samples,” the company said, adding that only five pairs of socks were confirmed as bearing the word “Allah”.
The company also stressed that it had never intentionally ordered any socks with such wording, and that its orders were made based on the samples provided.
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“We have consistently advised our Chinese suppliers to avoid providing us with products bearing words, symbols, or illustrations that could offend our Muslim community. This practice underscores our commitment to cultural sensitivity and respect in our business dealings.
“We acknowledge the lessons learned from this incident and are implementing stricter quality control measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” it said.
The company likewise expressed its commitment to fully cooperating with the authorities, adding that its factory in Batu Pahat, Johor, was visited by the police today.
“We understand the gravity of this situation and the importance of maintaining harmony and respect among all communities. Rest assured, we remain committed to upholding these values in all aspects of our business operations,” it said.
Xin Jian Chang also raised concern over social media postings sharing personal data, including the residential addresses of its key officers, and issuing threats of violence, including burning down their factory and endangering lives.
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