Earlier this month, a resigned Indonesian civil servant was accused of deliberately injuring a non-Muslim gentleman who was eating in a store during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The incident’s videos quickly became popular, sparking a new conversation in Malaysia about tolerance, cultural coexistence, and religious sensibilities.
It was the most recent incident in a long line of unrelated situations that have sparked nationwide outcry.
Two incidents involving the convenience store network KK Super Mart have sparked a significant public reaction in the past year alone.
In the first, it was discovered that a few socks containing the word” Allah” were being sold at several KK Super Mart locations last year, which led to three petrol bomb attacks on its stores and legal action against its owners. The boots were discovered as part of a much larger package from China, with KK Super Mart claiming that it did not put the offending style into fee.
In the second incident, a KK Super Mart store at Universiti Malaya was charged in January with selling halal-style ham and cheese sandwiches to individuals. The business was painted red and covered in red after pictures of the hamburgers were posted online. After tests revealed that the “ham” was poultry ham, and no pork, and that its supplier had done the halal labeling.
Political figures, most notably Muhamad Akmal Saleh, the youth leader of the United Malays National Organization ( UMNO ), amplified both incidents. According to Mr. Akmal, his deeds show a determination to “defending” Islam and Malaysia. Reviewers claim that he was stoking disagreements and using the problems for political gain.