UMNO Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has dismissed calls from a Sabah MP urging him to demand an apology from China regarding the sale of socks at KK Mart bearing the word “Allah”. Refusing to escalate the issue further, Akmal noted that Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau failed to grasp the essence of the matter and was overreacting to the controversy.

“I cannot be bothered to make this into a bigger issue. I ask Tangau to sit down and read the news again,” FreeMalaysiaToday quoted him as saying.

Akmal reiterated UMNO Youth’s steadfast commitment to the nationwide boycott campaign against KK Mart, despite facing pressure from various quarters.

“If you don’t want to participate in the boycott, that’s fine, but don’t stop others who wish to do so,” he asserted.

Earlier, Tangau criticised Akmal’s reaction to the issue as “disproportionate” and suggested that if Akmal justified his response in the name of religion, he should demand an apology from China for allowing the socks’ production.

The Upko MP urged Akmal to urge Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who also serves as UMNO deputy president, to summon China’s ambassador for an explanation and to consider boycotting China if Malaysia does not receive a satisfactory response.

Responding to Tangau’s challenge, academic Tajuddin Rasdi of UCSI University remarked that Akmal was unlikely to engage, citing that “a bully will always pick on a smaller person”.

https://focusmalaysia.my/umno-youth-chief-stands-firm-no-dice-on-china-apology-for-allah-socks/