THERE is ‘mild hostility’ in the air as UMNO Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh commented on his nemesis Datuk Seri Dr Chai Kee Kan – the founder of KK Super Mart – joining the entourage of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently in Uzbekistan.
Trying hard to hold back his rage as His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim King of Malaysia has decreed to his subjects to put a close to animosity that can jeopardies race relations in the country, the Merlimau state assemblyman asked curious minds to seek an answer “from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) directly”.
“There are many much better stores such as 99 Speedmart, myNEWS, 7-Eleven or Ikhwan Mart in Malaysia yet KK Super Mart is still the choice to bring there,” he penned on his Facebook page.
“As for me, I really don’t feel that he joins the entourage all. #kekalboikot.”
The short post which evoked 3,800 likes, 1,000 comments and 250 shares at the time of writing shows that the blanket boycott movement mooted by the UMNO Youth head honcho against the 24-hour convenience store chain is far from over especially as Akmal has himself implied the #kekalboikot hashtag in his social media post.
The best response came from Zamirul Mohamat who teased Akmal for “having lost his sting” for not directly mentioned PMX’s name in his FB post, prompting the latter to ask “where was the soft part”.
Others ticked the Melaka state Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security EXCO off for “being not intelligent” given that the business deals are sealed at private sector level while government representatives (including PMX) are only there to witness the inking of business agreements.
One netizen further suggested that Akmal enquired from UMNO deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan who was part of PMX’s entourage why “KK Super Mart which is indulged in a hot issue was accorded an opportunity when there are more qualified candidates like Mydin”.
Earlier, there have been suggestions from netizens that there could be better options in Mydin or Bumiputera tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary.
Another netizen raised the question why KK Super Mart is granted the honour to join the country’s trade mission to a Muslim country, alluding the possibility that Malaysian government-linked companies (GLCs) are inapt to explore overseas markets on their own.
Others speculate what makes Chai, 57, who was jointly charged with his wife Loh Siew Mui, 53, at the Shah Alam Sessions Court for “wounding the religious feelings of others” in March over sale of socks bearing the “Allah” inscription “so special” in the eyes of PMX.
No matter how one wishes to look at the arguments from netizens, one does hit the nail on the head in that KK Super Mart “is not part of the official Malaysian delegation” but “travelled there (to Uzbekistan) separately to sign the MOU with local business at their own expenses”. – May 23, 2024
