KUALA LUMPUR – The local importer of socks printed with the word “Allah” is seeking legal advice against its China-based supplier for negligence.
Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, based in Batu Pahat, Johor, said it never intentionally ordered the socks, and had in the past told the supplier not to provide products that would offend Muslim consumers.
“We want to clarify that we have never intentionally ordered any socks with such words. All our orders are made based on samples provided, and we have consistently advised our Chinese suppliers to avoid providing us with products bearing words, symbols, or illustrations that could offend our Muslim community,” it said in a statement today.
“We have already contacted our China-based supplier to seek an explanation, and they have admitted that the problematic socks were included in the bulk of stocks we purchased by mistake.
“We are currently seeking legal advice to explore possible legal actions against the supplier for their negligence in fulfilling our order requirements.”
Xin Jian Chang also confirmed that police visited its factory premises in Batu Pahat today, as reported by local media.
“We are fully cooperating with the authorities. We understand the gravity of this situation and the importance of maintaining harmony and respect among all communities,” the company said.
The importer said the offending socks were part of a larger shipment of 18,800 socks ordered from Mu Mian Qing Hosiery Co. Ltd, based in Zhejiang province in China.
It also corrected earlier reports that 14 pairs with the word “Allah” printed were imported, saying there were only five pairs bearing the sensitive word.
Police are investigating the import and distribution of the socks after 42 reports were lodged nationwide.
A photo of one pair surfaced on social media last week with a claim that it was sold at a KK Mart outlet in Sunway, Selangor.
Following outrage on social media, KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd founder Datuk Seri K.K. Chai apologised profusely at a press conference on Saturday, explaining that the socks were imported from China and were among 1,200 other pairs, each with different designs.
He admitted he did not do a full inspection of every pair but stressed that of KK Mart’s 800 branches nationwide, only three outlets carried the socks.
Despite the apology and removal of the socks from store shelves, calls are being made for a boycott of KK Mart, led by Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh.
Xin Jian Chang said it had learnt “lessons from this incident” and was in the process of implementing stricter quality control measures.
“We deeply regret any oversight in our quality control process, which (accidentally) allowed these items to enter our inventory, despite our best efforts to ensure that all 18,800 socks received from our China supplier were the same as the provided samples.
“We acknowledge the lessons learned from this incident and are implementing stricter quality control measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”
The importer also said it was concerned over social media postings that have shared personal data of its company officers and issued threats of violence “including burning down our factory and endangering lives”.
“We urge fellow Malaysians to remain calm and refrain from engaging in any form of vigilantism or violence, and allow the relevant authorities to carry out their investigation,” said the company. – March 19, 2024