National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang has once again shied away from addressing disunity in the nation, amid rising inter-ethnic tensions over the “Allah” socks controversy.
Asked to comment on the matter, he was disinclined to respond.
“That is not Mitra (Indian Transformation Unit), my issue today is Mitra,” he said when met in Putrajaya after launching a two-day roadmap workshop on the unit.
Pressed for a comment, he replied: “Sorry, sorry, please. We are the Unity (Ministry), we do not want disunity. We want unity.”
Asked if he would issue a statement on the matter, he replied in the negative.
Aaron (above) added that he would leave the matter to the Home Ministry to handle.
The minister gave a similar response last October amid a row over the Palestine solidarity week organised in schools.
“Ask the prime minister. I am the unity (minister). I want unity, not disunity.
“If it’s about disunity, don’t ask me,” he had said.
Socks controversy
Socks bearing the word “Allah” were recently found on the shelves of convenience store chain KK Mart, causing an uproar from the Muslim community.
KK Mart has since removed the offending socks and issued a public apology which it is also displaying prominently at all its stores.
It had blamed the matter on a supplier, who in turn blamed a manufacturer in China for wrongly sending the socks.
Despite the apology, there have been vocal calls for a boycott of KK Mart and for stern action to be taken against the company.
There have also been cases of vigilantism where groups had doxxed and confronted those who made disparaging remarks about the issue and forced them to apologise.
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