Amid tensions over Malaysia’s ‘Allah’ socks scandal, PM Anwar Ibrahim’s silence speaks volumes
- The ‘Allah’ socks scandal has escalated tensions among Malay Muslims, and raised fears among the ethic Chinese community of a more serious racial confrontation
- PM Anwar Ibrahim’s relative silence and lack of leadership in this issue may alienate him from both Malay Muslims and non-Muslims
The present furore began with the discovery of socks bearing the word “Allah” being sold at a branch of a local convenience store chain. For Muslims, the word “Allah” is sacrosanct and should not be presented inappropriately in any form, such as on footwear. Although the proprietor of the store offered a grovelling apology, blaming the vendor and saying that only 14 pairs of the offensive item were found in a handful of his 800 outlets, the matter did not end there.
King warns Malaysians against exploiting ‘Allah’ socks scandal after attacks
The backlash was severe and serious. Malay-Muslim netizens launched an avalanche of attacks against the chain and its owner, who is Chinese Malaysian. The leader of Malaysia’s Malay nationalist party’s youth wing, Umno youth chief Akmal Saleh, led the political charge demanding swift, heavy punishment and called for a boycott of the stores, even as he said the issue should not be racialised.
Malaysia’s head of state, the Agong, expressed his grave displeasure at the sale of the socks and decreed that action be taken against those responsible.
The store’s proprietor and its directors, together with suppliers, were subsequently charged in court with “deliberately intending to hurt the religious feelings” of the Muslim community. The factory which packed and distributed the socks imported from China had its licence cancelled.
Yet the firestorm has not abated. Akmal has continued to instigate a boycott of the chain, demanding that apology banners be hung at all the chain’s stores. He even suggested the owners “find another business”. He has, in turn, been on the receiving end of a death threat. Meanwhile, a petrol bomb was thrown at one of the Perak branches of the convenience store chain in question. Fortunately, it landed outside its premises.
Tensions have been running high in the Malay-Muslim community since a recent court ruling which declared certain provisions in the Islamic law enactments of the state of Kelantan, under the rule of the Islamist party PAS, were unconstitutional. Although the court was merely interpreting the constitutional jurisdiction of state assemblies in passing laws that should fall under federal purview, some Muslims, who claimed it was an assault on Islam and sharia laws, met the decision with anger.
For non-Malays, especially the ethnic Chinese community, the calls for boycotting the convenience store chain lead towards a slippery slope. Although they disproportionately dominate the Malaysian business landscape, they are dependent on the larger Malay-Muslim community as consumers.
Anwar’s partner in his unity government, Umno, has given Akmal tacit support. Its president, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has largely stayed silent and has not been interested in reining in his youth chief. This may be a risky tactic to try and shore up the support of the Malay-Muslim community, which has not warmed up to the unity government, Anwar’s leadership, or returned to supporting the once dominant Umno.
For his part, Anwar seems to be taking a cue from Ahmad Zahid by choosing to say as little as possible out of fear that it will further alienate Malay-Muslim voters. The result may be that he gains absolutely nothing.
For some Malay-Muslims, relative silence does not say anything about Anwar’s leadership in defending the sanctity of Islam.
Malaysian supermarket chain and supplier to be charged over ‘Allah’ socks
For non-Muslims, the progressive Anwar whom they have supported all this while is nowhere to be seen. This was a moment tailor-made for Anwar’s gift for soaring rhetoric, powers of persuasion, and familiarity with progressive Islamic thought. Unfortunately, the moment for Anwar to lead from the front in bringing Malaysia together and back from the precipice has probably passed, for now.
In his stead, the Agong and police have issued clear warnings for all to stand down. As with the heatwave, this too will recede in time as rational minds prevail. However, once a genie carrying racial and religious sentiments is let out, it is difficult to get it back into the bottle. Anwar will have to be careful that what continues to simmer does not boil again. He needs to be ready to lead if it does; the sound of silence will not suffice as an encore.
