KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have been urged to uphold the decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia to foster unity among all segments of society in strengthening national unity and refraining from inciting hatred among the people by exploiting 3R issues (Race, Religion and Royalty).
In a joint statement today, Minister in Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar and Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said this followed the controversial issue of socks bearing the word "Allah" being sold at KK Mart convenience store chain as well as the shoe logo alleged to resemble the word Allah sold by Vern's Holding Sdn Bhd.
Following this, both the federal and state administration said the government would not compromise with any quarters that attempted to instigate such issues in the future.
"This statement affirms the government's seriousness in the recent incidents involving the sensitivities of Muslims. The matter is concerning as it has threatened the harmony of the multi-racial society and religions in the country.
"The matter has also been addressed by the police against involving parties based on the laws.
"We urge the people, regardless of race and religion to also heed the decree by His Majesty during his royal address during the opening ceremony of the third session of the 15th Parliament which emphasised the importance of fostering unity among races and all segments of society," the statement read.
At the same time, the statement added that the government had also taken several initiatives to uphold His Majesty's decree in addressing the issue.
This includes the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) summoning relevant parties in the case of the misuse of the word "Allah" on socks and shoes for further investigations.
"At the Johor state level, a joint committee between the state Islamic Committee on Islamic Religious Affairs and state Committee on Housing and Local Government has been established to address the misuse of the word 'Allah'.
At the same time, the government also urged all chambers of commerce, trade associations, and industrial groups to demonstrate a high level of commitment in the effort to address the issues and ensure that they do not recur.
"Public awareness campaigns to safeguard the interests of multi-racial society should always be nurtured, without denying continuous monitoring by all enforcement agencies, whether federal or state governments."
Previously, several KK Mart convenience store chains were hit with calls for a boycott after images showing a pair of socks bearing the word "Allah" were allegedly sold at a KK Super Mart shop in Bandar Sunway.
The incident triggered a frenzied reaction among various quarters and investigations by police were conducted on the matter.
Meanwhile, Jakim had also issued a stern warning against all businesses, manufacturers, suppliers, and importers following the recent controversy surrounding the shoe logo with an alleged "Allah" inscription sold by Vern's.