JOHOREANS need not rush to boycott popular pizza chain Domino’s Pizza following a despicable anti-Islam message printed on a pizza order receipt issued by the chain’s Kluang outlet on Dec 19 at 7.03pm.
This follows calls to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the police and the state’s religious authorities to swiftly act against the culprit without fear or favour.
The issue was exposed in a Facebook post by Md Nor Erwan bearing a caption “Rude attitude towards Islam is on the rise … this time in Kluang Johor” which turned heated after it was capitalised by opposition-slant blogger Ratu Naga a.k.a. Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah who asked, “Is this done on purpose or what?”
This is because the police are already investigating derogatory messages apparently mocking Islam and the Malay community on three receipts of a pizza chain’s outlets.
The Star cited Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar as saying that three investigation papers involving three districts in the state have been opened on the matter.
The cops, according to him, have detected the circulation of the receipts from the pizza chain issued between Dec 10 and 20 in Kluang, Muar and Batu Pahat under the name of one “Suwash Muktan”.
He said the matter is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 for engaging in acts with seditious tendencies; Section 298 of the Penal Code for intention of hurting religious feelings; and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities and services.
“Firm and uncompromising action will be taken under prevailing laws against any individual intentionally disrupting public order and peace,” he said in a statement yesterday.
In May, the pizza chain was dragged into a somehow controversy after the picture of a receipt with similar derogatory remarks was issued in Bayan Lepas, Penang.
In response to the incident, the pizza chain said it had lodged a police report over the incident. Interestingly, a source close to the matter revealed to Free Malaysia Today (FMT) that the message was based on input provided by the customer in the “delivery instruction” section of the pizza chain’s website.
“The receipt was printed the same way it was for any other order,” the source told FMT. “However, the derogatory message was not written by anyone from the pizza chain.”
A Malaysian and three Myanmar nationals, including a couple, were arrested in connection to the incident. – Dec 23, 2024
