DESPITE hypermarket operator AEON BiG (M) Sdn Bhd having clarified the labelling confusion that led to prayer mats (sejadah) bearing Kaaba images sold at its Batu Pahat outlet being misconstrued as floor mat, both PAS Youth and its Bersatu counterpart are seemingly wary of unscrupulous quarters out there to belittle and insult sensitivities of Muslims.

PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden claimed that there exist “a certain cartel group which deliberately provoked the issue of religious and racial sensitivity in Malaysia.

“This cartel needs to be wiped out now! This is serious!” he reacted harshly on his Facebook page.

“This is not an issue of testing the market to see the reaction of Muslims in Malaysia. Matters of religion, matters of belief are not merchandise for market testing’. Muslims are willing to die to defend their religion, in defence of their belief. Don’t challenge us to that level!”

The Alor Setar MP reiterated his call in the Dewan Rakyat for stricter laws against those who are found to insult Islam given that the existing law today” does not frighten them enough”

“O insulters and haters of Islam. Although you can bribe one or two scoffers in our circle to follow your words, instructions and language, you must remember that many more Muslims will unite with us to oppose and fight you!” warned the son of former Grand Imam of the National Mosque Datuk Taib Azamudden Md Taib.

“We are not looking for enemies. But if the enemy comes looking for us, we shall wait and fight until we win or die as martyrs!”

Recall that the supplier involved in the latest prayers mat incident is A&R Fashion Collection, a 100% Bumiputera and Muslim-owned small medium enterprise (SME) which supplies Syariah-compliant clothing such as prayer robes, hijab, kurta, sampin, songkok as well as products such as prayer mats, carpets and rugs.

“A&R has since confirmed that the product in question is indeed a mini sejadah (prayer mat), given that the design is a vertical format which is a common practice,” noted AEON BiG in a statement.

While the hypermarket has issued a statement in response to the product coding error, Bersatu Youth stressed the need for basic matters regarding the understanding of Islam to be taken seriously.

“Mistakes like this should not happen if the management and inventory staff are sensitive and aware of supermarket operations,” its chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal who is also the Machang pointed out in a media statement.

“Bersatu Youth praised the swift action of the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) to seize (the prayers mat) and investigate this matter.

“Recently, issues that touch the sensitivities of Muslims in this country are seen to be hotly played out. Therefore, Bersatu Youth hopes that this can be stopped with every party playing an important role of not going beyond the limits when touching on matters related to the Islamic religion.”

Earlier, UMNO Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh who was at the centre of the KK Super Mart blanket campaign has called on Muslims in the country to unite regardless of their political differences following revelation of the seizure of the said prayer mats by the Johor Islamic authorities. - April 15, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/pas-youth-claims-existence-of-cartel-to-belittle-islam-bersatu-counterpart-ticks-off-aeon-big-for-oversight/