‘Umno told Akmal to stand down on socks issue’

The Umno leadership has requested Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh to stand down on the “Allah” socks issue.

Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said there was no question about agreeing or disagreeing with Akmal’s action in pressing KK Mart on the issue, as the decision had been made by Umno to stop harping on the matter.

He said Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had requested that the issue be dropped.

“The Umno president requested Dr Akmal (to stop it) and explained that KK Mart did not plan the incident.

“The king also requested that the issue be dropped, and for me, that is sufficient.”

He said this at Sabah’s Umno breaking-of-fast event with the media and orphans here on Tuesday.

He was asked about Akmal’s actions after socks bearing the word “Allah” were found at a KK Mart store.

Bung Moktar, who is Sabah Umno chief, expressed his frustration with former Petagas assemblyman Datuk James Ligunjang, who linked the KK Mart issue to Sabah Umno.

“Sabah Umno is not involved, but today (yesterday), I saw the statement by Datuk James Ligunjang again linking Sabah Umno to KK Mart and asking the people of Sabah to reject Umno because, supposedly, we are extremists.

“After 25 years of not appearing in public, suddenly he links Sabah Umno to extremists.

“We are not extremists. I meet non-Muslim friends every day, eat together, work together and when we go out, we meet many non-Muslims.

“We have leaders and members who are not Muslims in Sabah Umno.

“So after this, our non-Muslim members can ask James to keep quiet.

“Don’t link Umno Sabah to KK Mart and don’t link what happens in the peninsula to Sabah.”