Datuk Seri Chai Kee Kan pleads not guilty to charges of intentionally wounding religious feelings of others.
SHAH ALAM – Founder and executive director of KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd Datuk Seri Chai Kee Kan, along with his wife Loh Siew Mui, have been brought to trial for allegedly offending Muslims.
This is over the recent fiasco on the sale of socks bearing the word “Allah” in some of their outlets.
As per the charge sheet, both Chai and Loh stand accused of intentionally hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims by displaying socks with the word “Allah” on the sales display rack at their convenience store in the Sunway branch on March 13, around 6.30am.
The charges against them are framed under Section 298 of the Penal Code, which entails imprisonment for up to a year, fines, or both upon conviction.
In today’s proceedings, Chai was also charged as the representative of KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd, facing similar allegations under the same legal provision.
Chai, 57, also known as K.K. Chai, and Loh, 53, pleaded not guilty to the charges when presented before judge Muhammad Anas Mahadzir this morning.
Initially, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Masri Mohd Daud proposed bail of RM15,000 for Chai and RM10,000 for Loh.
The legal representatives of the husband-and-wife duo Datuk Rajpal Singh appealed for bail to be set at RM5,000 for Chai, stressing its purpose to ensure their court attendance.
He further requested RM7,000 in bail for Loh, considering her role as a housewife responsible for two children who are still studying.
Singh also emphasised that the couple posed no flight risks, given their nationwide business operations.
The judge then ordered bail at RM10,000 each for Chai and Loh.
It was reported that the couple managed to elude media waiting for them around the court premises.
Meanwhile, in the same court session today, directors of Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd were separately charged with abetting Chai and Loh in the distribution of the controversial “Allah”-printed socks.
Xin Jian Chang is the company that supplied these socks to KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd.
According to the charge sheet, Soh Chin Huat, 61; Goh Li Huay, 62; and Soh Hui San, 36, were accused of abetting the convenience store by intentionally hurting the religious feelings of Muslims by displaying these socks on its sales rack.
Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd director Soh Chin Huat (centre), along with others, has been accused of abetting the store by intentionally hurting the religious feelings of Muslims.
Chin Huat, representing the company, faced an additional charge of a similar offence.
Their offences are framed under Section 109, read together with Section 298 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum one-year jail term, fines, or both upon conviction.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges before the judge today.
The prosecution suggested RM5,000 bail for each accused, which was agreed upon by their lawyer, Lau Yi Leong.
However, the court set bail at RM10,000 for each accused and scheduled mentions for all cases on April 29.
The legal proceedings stem from a previous incident where police discovered 14 pairs of the contentious socks during a raid on the premises of the local importer.
KK Mart had promptly recalled and returned the socks to its supplier after images of the socks sparked widespread outrage upon being spotted in one of the store’s outlets.
In response to the public backlash, Chai issued an apology during a press conference last weekend.
Additionally, the store’s outlets displayed banners and issued messages at their counters expressing regret over the incident.
Xin Jian Chang also issued an apology, citing an oversight in its quality control process and asserting that it had taken measures to ensure the suitability of the products for the Muslim consumers it serves.
The company denied any intentional wrongdoing and indicated its consideration of legal action against the overseas supplier for negligence.
Amid the controversy, KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd has initiated legal action against Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, seeking RM30 million in damages. The convenience store chain alleges sabotage of its business by the local importer. – Scoop
