Investors, both domestic and foreign, have every reason to think twice about doing business in a country called Malaysia as Islamic extremism and terrorism spread like wildfire. In addition to red tape and corruption, they should add another item to their checklist – logos or products must be approved by all authorities, especially politicians, to ensure they do not resemble the word “Allah”.
Not only this Southeast Asia nation is the only country on the planet where its Muslims claim copyright for “Allah”, even though it has been used for more than 400 years by non-Muslim natives in Borneo, business owners should get ready to lose all their investments due to boycott – even firebombing terrorism – over the word Allah. Worse, design creativity could be accused as an insult to Allah.
This is not a laughing matter (though the world is laughing) as KK Super Mart becomes an example of how a convenience store chain could be brought down all because of 5 pairs of socks with the “Allah” word. It doesn’t matter if only 3 out of 881 outlets were selling the socks by mistake. And it certainly doesn’t matter if only 5 out of 18,800 pairs of socks with “Allah” inscription were found.
Even after the KK Mart Group founder and executive chairman Dr KK Chai proactively took responsibility and has since apologised publicly, including meeting King Sultan Ibrahim to apologies again, the business owner along with his wife have been charged anyway for so-called deliberately hurting the religious feelings of Muslims. It seems no amount of apology is enough here.
Doing business is not a walk in the park in this country. Non-Muslim business owners are expected to check every single item on sale, even though 5 out of 18,800 pairs of socks represent 0.00026% margin error. While KK Mart must check every single sock, somehow the Royal Malaysian Customs Department isn’t responsible for clearing the prohibitive products.
After socks, now we have another issue involving shoes. Verns Holding Sdn Bhd, the company behind a shoe logo that some narrow-minded Muslims insist resemble the word “Allah” in Arabic script, is now in hot soup for being creative. Even though the company explains that the logo was actually a stylised depiction of a high-heeled shoe with straps, at least 8 police reports have been lodged nationwide.
Like KK Mart, Verns promptly apologised for offending any sensitivities, especially that of Muslims. The footwear company issued a statement on Sunday (April 7) – “We had no intention of designing a logo that undermines or insults any religion or belief, and we hope to be given the opportunity to explain its design. Our management would like to humbly apologise to all and we hope to be given a chance to correct the oversight”.
Verns, which has over 60 stores across Malaysia, also said it had taken immediate steps to stop sales of the shoes affected and will offer refunds to customers who had purchased the items. The company should not have apologised if it had done nothing wrong. Doing so will not only be seen as an admission of guilt, but also emboldens religious extremists to create more havoc with false claims or unfounded allegations due to insecurity of their own faith.
However, the Chinese-owned company also knew that at the end of the day, it would be their words against the Anwar’s increasingly unpopular administration, whose government is fast becoming extreme, racist and radical. Comically, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Razarudin Husain has personally involved in the investigation, confiscating a total of 1,145 shoes from Vern’s outlets in Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Kedah and Penang.
The chief instigator, UMNO Youth Chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh, has again involved in the shoe fiasco after weaponise the sock issue for political mileage. The racist scumbag has demanded an explanation from the local company within 24 hours or risk boycott, a popular bullying trend among conservative Malay Muslims who always see shadows of evil at every corner.
Unlike his defiance to continue boycott KK Mart, Akmal was quick to accept a “logical argument” this round, claiming that based on his own research, the design of the Vern’s shoe was that of a high heel with its straps – not the holy word. Making a U-turn from his previous aggressive and bullying behaviour, he said Muslims would not act wildly without checking things first.
Of course, having arrested thanks to fierce warning from governing partner GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak), UMNO Youth understood that it can’t bite off more than it can chew, hence the decision not to escalate the shoe logo design. But the damage is done. All hell broke loose and lame Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim could only watch how his supporters, mainly non-Muslims, condemn his weak leadership.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Mohd Na’im Mokhtar had instructed Jakim (Islamic Development Department Malaysia) to grill Verns, even though every Tom, Dick and the hamsters can see clearly that the logo was “100%” based on the silhouette of a high-heeled shoe with straps. Hilariously, to show authority, Jakim has issued a stern warning to shoemaker Vern’s to be more vigilant and sensitive to the Muslims’ feeling.
Can Jakim make up its mind whether the logo on the soles of shoes produced by Vern’s brand resembles the word “Allah”? If it does, then charge the company and let the Muslim world have some laughs. If it doesn’t, why is the shoemaker being warned? The warning is nothing but a bullying tactic to oppress the Chinese business community just because UMNO, with blessing from PM Anwar, wanted to score some political brownie points.
Sure, perhaps UMNO Youth and millions of conservative Malay-Muslims should seriously consider boycotting Maggi mee or even spaghetti because the springy noodles definitely resemble the word “Allah” in Arabic script – depending on one’s imagination when the popular food is cooked. To prevent hurting some Malays’ “glass heart”, noodles in whatever forms must be banned.
In the same breath, non-Muslims are advised to be extraordinarily cautious when dealing with Muslim customer services in banks, just in case their signatures resemble the Allah word that could trigger national emergency – SWAT teams scrambled to arrest the banking customers. If local Chinese business owners could be destroyed under the pretext of Muslim sensitivities, what more “kafir” foreign investors?
Yes, as ridiculous as it may sound, even billionaire Elon Musk might need to apologise and kowtow to the Muslims in this country if some Malay extremists complain that the Tesla’s logo looks like the Christianity cross symbol, or the European crusaders’ cross shield used in religious war against the Muslims in Jerusalem in an attempt to reclaim the Holy Land in the Middle East.
Interestingly, opposition Bersatu or Malaysian United Indigenous Party, supposedly more radical and extreme than Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR (People’s Justice Party) and the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) combined, has slammed the government for going overboard in politicising the shoe logo to the extent it makes Islam a laughing stock in the world.
Bersatu Youth Chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal said – “This is getting ridiculous and makes Islam look very petty and bad. We need to focus more on issues that are important to nation-building and unity. We as Muslims cannot think paranoid in all matters that are considered challenging to Islam. Our actions must be based on knowledge, not reckless emotions. Islam is not a religion for stupid people“.
The Opposition Perikatan Nasional, comprising Bersatu and PAS Islamist party, of course, is cleverly pretending to be moderate Muslims at a time when PM Anwar, instead of showing a strong leadership, has shown a weak, indecisive and cowardice leadership. Working hand and glove with UMNO to play racial and religious cards by oppressing minority Chinese, Anwar is now seen as ineffective and incompetent – even a traitor.
In fact, Anwar’s silence could seal his fate as a one-term prime minister. The fake reformist, who had been screaming “Reformasi” for 25 years, is slowly committing political suicide as Sarawak-based GPS openly slammed governing partner UMNO of playing silly religious politics, whilst UMNO strategically undermines spineless Anwar-led Pakatan Harapan coalition by creating discontent, hatred and instability.
It was an absolute waste of public resources when the police forces, Jakim, ministers and whatnot were scrambled over a shoe logo that does not even resemble the word “Allah” at all. Worse, the Anwar Madanistan government has allocated RM1.9 billion in the Budget 2024 for the management and development of Islamic affairs, only for Jakim and religious authorities to waste time on Vern’s shoes.
As UMNO’s Islam crusade continues to show its stupidity in desperation to swing over Malay voters who had abandoned the Malay nationalist in the Nov 2022 General Election, the moron prime minister too has followed suit. PM Anwar has no one to blame but himself in the event non-Muslims decide to boycott and abandon him in the next 16th General Election. But first, the opposition must change and project itself as a moderate Islam.
Source : Finance Twitter
The Coverage Malaysia
