BATU PAHAT: A day after being raided by authorities, the factory involved in the controversy over distributing socks bearing the word Allah has ceased operations from today.
The closure of the factory in the Sri Gading industrial area here was carried out a day after management issued a statement regarding concerns about the leakage of personal data of its employees and threats to burn down the premises.
The closure notice was communicated through a notice posted at the main entrance without specifying the date for resumption of operations.
The closure is believed to be aimed at calming the situation and ensuring the safety of workers following pressure and demands to publicly apologize for its actions.
A survey found the factory involved in packaging and distribution activities to be quiet without any activity.
A piece of cloth was seen hanging on the main gate of the factory with an apology to the Malaysian people for the incident related to socks bearing the word Allah found in convenience stores in Bandar Sunway recently.
"We sincerely apologise for the incident that has caused unrest among the community," reads the writing on the cloth.
In the apology, the management also listed three main points, namely pledging commitment to always uphold the sensitivity of the multi-religious community, maintaining harmony, and enhancing quality control efforts.
Yesterday, police from the Johor police headquarters and the Batu Pahat district headquarters conducted a raid and inspection before finding five pairs of socks bearing the word Allah.
However, the inspection found just five pairs of socks which were returned by three KK Mart stores when the controversy began.
Meanwhile, Batu Pahat district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Ismail Dollah, said they have received nine reports made in the district, so far.
He said investigations are still ongoing, including taking statements from those involved in handling the operations of the factory.
"We are in the process of taking statements from the owners and workers who are involved in handling the supply of these socks.
"This morning we made three recordings of conversations to complete the investigation into the controversy," he said.