PETALING JAYA, Selangor – Stern action must be taken against those found culpable in the controversial issue involving socks with the word “Allah” on them, said Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.

Sultan Ibrahim said the sale of such socks was a grave issue as it offends Muslims and threatens national harmony.

“The word ‘Allah’ is held high by Muslims and furthermore, it is in the Ramadan month,” he wrote on Facebook on March 19.

“I have just stated the need for a multiracial community to be united and respect each other in my address in Parliament and yet this has happened.

“Whether this is intended or not, whether imported or produced by local factories, I want the authorities to investigate and take stern action in accordance with the law so that there is no repeat.”

Sultan Ibrahim also said that it did not make sense for a company with Malaysian staff to be unaware of these sensitivities.

“We have lived together for such a long time in a multicultural society. Mistakes on religious and racial issues cannot be accepted any more, nor should they be allowed to happen again,” said the King.

Meanwhile, Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Ibrahim expressed hope that the issue would not jeopardise national harmony.

“The name of Allah is an important holy word for Muslims. I urge the authorities to take firm action and ensure that an issue like this does not happen again.

“This issue cannot be taken lightly,” he wrote on Facebook on March 19.

In a statement, convenience store chain KK Super Mart apologised and said it had pulled all such socks off its shelves.

“We regret the incident and take this seriously,” read the statement, which went on to explain that the socks were sold on consignment from a vendor. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK