TALK about getting a taste of your own medicine or ‘fast track’ retribution. UMNO Youth head Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh who’s riding high on the issue of a pair of socks bearing “Allah” inscription sold in a KK Super Mart outlet now finds himself on the defensive.
Netizens who are already incensed with the Melaka executive councillor’s extreme posturing on the issue wasted no time linking him with a sex scandal involving a Johor UMNO Youth leader.
It was reported that at least six boys were said to be the victims of the UMNO Youth leader who had been arrested since Monday (March 18) and will be charged soon.
The suspect is said to be active in NGO work and had frequently brought the teenage victims to join along the activities.
Many netizens are having a field day comparing Dr Akmal’s reaction to the KK Super Mart issue with his treatment towards the alleged sexual crime perpetrated by one of his underlings.
As UMNO Youth leaders at state level are believed to be hand-picked and appointed by Dr Akmal, the onus is on him to apologise to the families of the boys for his bad choice of leaders.
In the case of KK Super Mart, the Merlimau state assemblyman wasted no time calling for a nationwide boycott of the convenience store chain which had apologised for the oversight.
Subsequently, the Rusia-trained medical doctor wanted all 881 KK Super Mart outlets across the country to hang banners outside their premises apologising for the incident or risk a more intense boycott.
Netizen BlueBison5210 who commenting on a Malaysiakini news article about the Johor UMNO Youth leader wrote: “All UMNO branches in Malaysia must put apologies banner. All should boycott the party. Where is the sincere apologies from Akmal? Where?”
Another netizen YouCannotBeSerious further rubbed salt into the wounds: “Akmal, lost your voice after shouting too much about socks?”
Yet another nrtizen going by “MarioT” berated: “In this case, he believes silence is golden. Cannot even keep his own house in order.”
Below are more brickbats hurtled at the super vocal UMNO Youth honcho who is increasingly being perceived as a thorn among coalition parties in the unity government for his pro-opposition narratives.
Sexual assault aside, there was also some chatter on social media that Dr Akmal should keep his own house in order before poking his nose in the affairs of others. The netizens were alluding to a news report last December that he had to pay his own brother some RM45,000 for libel.
The Free Malaysia Today news portal had reported that the suit was filed by Dr Solehin Saleh against Akmal in September 2022.
In the claim, Dr Solehin said his brother had in a Facebook post on Aug 26, 2022 libelled him by describing him as an individual in debt and claiming he had maliciously posted negative comments about Dr Akmal using a fake account.
Dr Solehin further claimed that the comments implied that he was a cheat, immoral, lacking in integrity and an irresponsible elder brother. Trial judge Sabri Ismail held that Solehin had proven his case against Akmal on a balance of probabilities.
Incidentally, the KK Super Mart issue which Dr Akmal had whipped up also attracted the attention of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong who had expressed displeasure over the entire incident. The King wanted stern action taken against those responsible.
His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim King of Malaysia, however, did not take any racial stance but he has a track record of being an inclusive leader. – March 21, 2024
