KUALA LUMPUR (April 14): A product with a design depicting the Kaaba that was seized by the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) at a supermarket in Batu Pahat on Tuesday, is meant for use as a mini "sejadah", or prayer mat.

AEON BiG (M) Sdn Bhd (“AEON BiG”) and the product's supplier, A&R Fashion Collection (A&R), in a joint statement on Saturday (April 13) explained that the confusion arose due to the product being incorrectly labelled as a "doormat".

According to the statement, upon receiving the information, the description of the product was immediately corrected in the AEON BiG product management system.

"Both AEON BiG management and A&R hope [that] the joint statement clarifies any doubts regarding this issue.

"We hope that speculations that can affect the harmony of our multi-racial society will be stopped," it read.

According to the statement, A&R is a 100% Bumiputera and Muslim-owned small and medium enterprise (SME) that supplies shariah-compliant Muslim clothing such as "jubah", "hijab", "kurta", "samping" and "songkok", as well as other products such as rugs, carpets and mats.

The company was founded in 2007 and has been a supplier of AEON BiG since 2015, besides supplying to other retailers and selling the products in its own stores.

AEON BiG and A&R said they would also continue to cooperate with JAINJ and any relevant authorities, should there be any further information required.

Earlier, the Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid had said that JAINJ had confiscated 11 floormats bearing the images of the Kaaba that were sold at a supermarket in Batu Pahat on Tuesday (April 9), following complaints from the public.

He said the management of the supermarket involved had also been called to provide a statement and had been warned to be more careful with the products sold,so as not to touch on the sensitivities of the community. 

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/node/707827