Three stores belonging to a Malaysian minimart chain were targeted with Molotov cocktails recently after they allegedly sold socks carrying the word “Allah”.
One of KK Super Mart’s stores in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak, in Malaysian Borneo, was hit by a Molotov cocktail on Sunday, a day after a separate attack on a store in Pahang on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, reported The Guardian.
Another store in Perak was targeted with a petrol bomb on March 26.
No injury was reported in the incidents.
Police have started investigating the case.
The attacks were reported after pictures of socks which were bearing the word ‘Allah’ circulated on social media.
The incident provoked outrage among Muslims community members who view the use of the word in association with feet to be offensive.
Chai Kee Kan, the CEO of KK Super Mart, the country’s second-largest chain of convenience stores, and his wife, a company director, were charged with hurting religious feelings last week, while three officials from supplier Xin Jian Chang have been charged with abetting them, The Guardian.
All five accused pleaded not guilty.
Chai Kee Kan blamed the supplier, which the chain is suing, and said that only 14 pairs of “Allah” socks were found on the shelves at three KK Super Mart outlets, reported The Guardian.
Both companies have reportedly apologised.
The supplies said the socks were part of a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered from China, the newspaper reported.
