Mydin would also face boycott too if they sold those socks, says Umno Youth chief

Dr Akmal Saleh.-The Star filepic

PETALING JAYA: Dr Akmal Saleh has dug in his heels following calls by Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin to stop harping on 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues like the controversial socks issue that could divide the nation.

The Umno Youth chief addressed the Mydin managing director in a TikTok on Saturday (March 23) and said that the issue was about defending Islam and that he would not back down.

“This issue isn’t about KK Mart being Chinese (owned) or not. The issue is that KK Mart has insulted Muslims, so stern action must be taken by Muslims in this country,” Akmal said.

“I want to tell Ameer this too: if this matter happened in Mydin hypermarkets, we would be doing the same thing to Mydin,” he said.

Ameer, who is also Bumiputera Retailers Association president, had earlier said that the socks issue should not be escalated but acknowledged that it was a serious matter.

In the same TikTok video, Akmal also responded to the criticism from former minister and ex-Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz who urged Akmal to stop stoking further tension on the socks issue.

She had suggested that Muslim politicians emulate the exemplary restraint shown by Prophet Muhammad when confronted with bad individuals.

"We just want to show Muslim solidarity in this country to teach KK Super Mart a sterner lesson.

"How? Just a boycott. Why must they fear a boycott from Muslims? Aren’t they tycoons already," he said.