AN MCA leader has urged the government and law enforcement agencies to intervene following reports of a recent petrol bomb attack at a KK Mart in Kuching on Monday, the third such attack on the convenience store chain in a week.
Expressing concern and disappointment over these attacks, party vice president Datuk Lawrence Low said these incidents had ignited widespread concern and anxiety, posing a grave threat to social security and public order.
“Swift and decisive action must be taken to investigate the arson and petrol bomb attacks, and those responsible must be brought to justice,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (April 2).
“These events have severely disrupted the nation’s social stability and people’s safety. Without effective measures from the government and police to curb such violence, these incidents may become commonplace, instigating greater panic and insecurity among the public.”
Stressing that Malaysia is a multicultural country where harmony prevails, Low said the government cannot tolerate any attempts to undermine social peace and stability through violent means.
“We strongly urge National Unity Minister (Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang) to play a pivotal role in these incidents, fostering understanding and unity among all ethnic groups,” he said.
“Only through unity and collective effort can we effectively address any acts of violence that threaten social harmony and ensure the country’s long-term stability.
“Also, failure by the government and police to address the situation may normalise such intimidating acts of violence in society.”
Low further said the party strongly condemns the inflammatory remarks made by UMNO Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh regarding these incidents.
“Akmal seems oblivious to the fact that his provocative rhetoric could exacerbate social tensions and incite further violence,” he remarked.
“He must strive to defuse social tensions rather than inflaming them through boycott actions. He must be held accountable for these subsequent events and cease his incitement of society.
“Therefore, we call upon all citizens not to succumb to external influences or be swayed by provocative rhetoric, urging them to maintain calm and rationality to safeguard Malaysia’s racial harmony.”
It was reported on Monday (April 1) that a KK Mart convenience store along Jalan Satok in Kuching was hit by a petrol bomb.
Kuching police chief Ahsmon Bajah said the attack was reported by a 25-year-old man who worked at the outlet.
“The complainant said that a glass bottle filled with kerosene was thrown at some boxes placed on the five-foot-way of the shop,” he said in a statement, adding that the boxes caught fire.
KK Mart outlets in Bidor, Perak, and in Kuantan, Pahang, were attacked with petrol bombs last week, leading to the sultans of both states issuing strongly worded statements.
The petrol bomb thrown at the shop in Bidor on March 26 failed to explode. The attack in Kuantan on March 29 set several items on fire but the flames were immediately put out by KK Mart workers.
KK Mart has been mired in controversy since March 13 after socks with the word “Allah” were discovered at its Bandar Sunway outlet in Selangor, sparking calls by UMNO Youth for a nationwide boycott of the chain.
KK Mart’s founder and a director have since been charged with intentionally wounding the religious feelings of Muslims by selling the socks, while three officers of the vendor, Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, were charged with abetment. All claimed trial. – April 2, 2024
Main pic credit: SCMP
