TWO elderly personalities - retailer and wholesaler Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin and former Wanita UMNO chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz - have received ‘tongue lashing’ from Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh who is half their age for ticking off the UMNO Youth chief over his rebellious stance on the “Allah” inscription on socks controversy.

Responding to the call by Ameer, 67, who is Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director not to involve 3R sentiments in the national economy, the defiant Merlimau state assemblyman insisted that his action was “to defend the sacredness of Islam which has been insulted”.

“If Datuk Ameer said to defend the sanctity of Islam cannot be mixed with our boycott campaign for it will bring about economic losses etc, I want him to know that this is not the first or second time such incident has occurred,” Dr Akmal, 36, who is also a Melaka state councillor justified in a video clip.

‘This time around, it pains the heart of all Muslims in Malaysia … As such, what’s wrong if a hard-hitting action is taken by boycotting the traitors.

“Also, this is a matter of akidah (faith in God) whereby Datuk Ameer needs to know that it supersedes economic gains … Will merely issuing an apology every time such mistake is committed suffice to make Muslims satisfied just because we need to preserve the economic health, to safeguard the wealth of tycoons out there?

“I want you to know that this is not only an issue pertaining to KK Super Mart or the Chinese (business) … therefore I want Datuk Ameer to know that if a similar incident takes place in Mydin, we’ll take a similar action against Mydin, too.”

For context, Ameer has recently urged Dr Akmal to stop leveraging the “Allah” socks issue for political mileage at the expense of livelihoods.

In thanking former international trade and industry minister (1987-2008) Rafifah for her feedback, the Russian-trained medical doctor clarified that the action mooted by UMNO Youth was not intended to provoke or to fuel anger among Malaysian Muslims.

“This is about how Muslims in the country express their frustrations and disgust at the traitors who insult Islam.

“TS Rafidah is right that during the Prophet’s time, a softer measure was meted out but there’s a need to remember that when their religion was insulted, apology wasn’t accepted at all. Henceforth, we’ve to defend our religion.

“This is not tantamount to going to war but to demonstrate the solidarity of Malay Muslims in the country so as to teach them (traitors) a hard lesson by means of only boycotting … why is there a need to fear boycotting by the Muslims when they’ve already become tycoons?”

Dubbed “Iron Lady”, Rafidah, 80, has called on Putrajaya to rein in rabble-rousers within the government from stoking further tension on the socks issue.

Although the former minister did not mention names, she appeared to be targeting Dr Akmal over his hardline stance on the “Allah” socks controversy. Rafidah further suggested that Muslim politicians emulate the exemplary restraint shown by Prophet Muhammad when confronted with bad individuals.

Whatever said and done, UMNO has backed the stance of its youth wing on the “Allah” socks controversy.

Its secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki who happens to be Dr Akmal’s predecessor said the matter was discussed during the party’s Supreme Council meeting, hence re-affirming UMNO’s steadfast commitment to upholding the sanctity of Islam.

Asyraf also claimed that the issue had not affected relations among the leaders of coalition parties within the unity government, including cabinet ministers.

But as one political observer puts it, this is not a “blanket endorsement for UMNO Youth to take matters into its own hand”.

“It’s more support for defending Islam. Not for going overboard. Akmal mustn’t pretends that its an endorsement for him to be an extremist. Anwar (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) will never tolerate that.” - March 24, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/umno-youth-chief-to-ameer-mydin-even-mydin-will-not-be-spared-if-it-does-what-kk-mart-did/