Nik Nazmi denies govt slow in quelling tension over socks issue

INTERVIEW | Cabinet member Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad defended the way the federal government handled the controversial socks issue.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini this week, the PKR vice-president refuted the assertion that Putrajaya did not make any effort or was slow in handling the controversy that sparked religious tension.

This was particularly over the continuous boycott campaign against KK Mart by certain politicians such as Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, whom many had seen had contributed to fanning the flame.

According to Nik Nazmi, the anger among Muslims over the socks bearing the name of Allah was real, making it a delicate matter that requires a balanced response.

"I mean there has to be a line, I agree, but if you just clamp down too fast and (whenever there is) any controversial thing you just clamp down and say you just arrest someone or whatnot, then I also think it's unhealthy.

"There are other ways for the message to get out and then they would say, ‘Oh people are being censored, people are being cancelled’, and it (the anger) will just fester beneath the surface, which is also dangerous," said Nik Nazmi, who is also the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister.

The interview with Nik Nazmi was held in conjunction with PKR’s 25th anniversary which falls on April 4.

‘Let authorities deal with it’

Nik Nazmi added that the government and its leaders did not shy away from commenting on the issue, including speaking against Akmal despite being a political leader in the governing coalition.

He said the prime minister had also spoken up, advising everyone to let authorities deal with the incident.

"... my message has always been, ‘You know Islam doesn't teach us... I mean that the kalimah Allah is sacred, you must honour it. But you also don't dwell on it’.

"People have apologised, legal action has already been taken, so that's it. You can't take action in your own hands, violence and all that," he said, adding that dealing with such delicate issues in a diverse plural society is a challenge the government must face.

Meanwhile, for PKR, Nik Nazmi said, they always try to take the middle path as much as possible but noted that it is much easier than done.

"Because you can err too much on this side or the other side. But we try our best to address controversial issues like this," said Nik Nazmi.

Socks controversy

The controversy erupted three weeks ago when pictures of socks bearing the word Allah being sold at a KK Mart outlet in Bandar Sunway went viral on social media.

The incident saw mass police reports lodged following initial police inaction. It also sparked a campaign to boycott KK Mart, spearheaded by Akmal.

Both KK Mart and Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, the company that supplied the socks, apologised for the incident and alleged it was due to oversight.

KK Mart founder Chai Kee Kan and his wife Loh Siew Mui have since been charged with intentionally hurting the feelings of Muslims at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.

Three Xing Jian Chang directors were also charged at the same court with abetting KK Mart.

KK Mart founder Chai Kee Kan and his wife Loh Siew Mui

However, despite legal actions having already been initiated, tension continued to brew and saw three KK Mart outlets in Perak, Pahang and Sarawak being attacked with firebombs following the controversy.

Royal warning

Last week, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar called on all parties to stop taking advantage of the issue of socks bearing the word Allah, saying it should now be left to the authorities.

On April 3, Sultan Ibrahim granted an audience to Chai, during which he apologised to the monarch and all Muslims over the socks controversy.

In a posting about the meeting, the king also gave everyone a final warning not to incite the rakyat over the controversy.

However, Akmal seemed bent on standing his ground when asked if he would heed Sultan Ibrahim’s decree to turn down the heat.

"Did the king ask to stop the boycott?" he told Malaysiakini.

Akmal was subsequently arrested by Kota Kinabalu police this morning upon his arrival at the Sabah’s capital.