Why does Umno want to destroy KK Mart?

COMMENT | When Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh told his friends at KK Mart to find another business, you have to ask yourself why doesn’t he care about “the livelihood of workers – most of whom are Malay Muslims” that hypermarket boss head Ameer Ali Mydin thinks would be in jeopardy if Akmal continues with his reckless religious agenda.

You have to ask yourself why Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan would write a piece warning people not to be sympathetic to KK Mart and its vendor by describing the former’s business practices as “questionable”.

“Business practices” imply a history of behaviour and so far neither Akmal nor his supporters can point to anything that KK Mart has done which would invite such political or religious opprobrium.

Hasan said it was yet to be determined if this act was done maliciously or in ignorance. Indeed, we have to ask ourselves why KK Mart or its vendor would subject itself to such acts as doxxing, police investigations, and online harassment just to sell garments with the word Allah on them.

We have to ask ourselves why a business which caters to a large Muslim clientele would risk their bottom line selling garments which would offend.

The elites in Umno have no real idea what it takes to grow a business like KK Mart or what it means to employ people and ensure their sensitivities are taken into account.

And can anyone make the argument that non-Malays are ignorant of the sensitivities of Muslims in this country?

For decades we have been told what the sensitivities of the Muslims are. For decades we have been warned not to trespass into the religious domains of the majority.

The political system is predicated on non-Muslims knowing and understanding the religious sensitivities of the majority. So Hasan would have us believe that the owners of KK Mart either deliberately or in ignorance sold socks with the word Allah on them.

Hasan also said this is not a partisan or racial issue but a religious one. Since race and religion are not mutually exclusive for the majority community in this country, he cannot make this qualification.

How much anger?

The fact that Akmal has said he would risk anything including position and power to defend Islam and that Umno (no matter who their friends are) would always defend Islam – this is a racial issue because Umno claims to be the sole defender of race and religion.

As reported in the press, Zaid Ibrahim said there must be limits to your anger.

“First, you asked the Chinese trader to apologise, and they did. Then, you revoked the factory licence, and they are now out of business. Then you said the boycott would continue.”

So, the question becomes how much is your anger towards the Chinese community?

Zaid also said, “No one should use God to break the law, incite hatred, and destroy businesses.”

If people have a phobia about Islam as a state religion in this country, it is because policies that disenfranchise them are done in the name of Islam. It is not hidden.

Political and religious operatives use it as a selling point. And we non-Muslims cannot fight back because to do so would mean, you guessed it, that we were Islamophobic or worse, invite sanctions from the state.

Even Muslims who speak up against fascist dogma are targeted by the state, to make an example of them.

I have no idea why Umno would want to see KK Mart close shop. I have no idea why they think this would work in reaffirming their position as the sole defenders of bangsa (race) and agama (religion).

Electoral support

Enjoying the spotlight, Akmal likes to behave as though he is speaking for the majority community. But is he really? Umno is haemorrhaging Malay support. Perikatan Nasional has got the Malay popular vote and its provocateurs have gained traction with the Malay majority, especially young Malays.

So if Akmal thinks that his shenanigans really carry weight with them, he may well be in for a rude surprise. Don’t get me wrong. They may very well support his ideas but this may not translate to electoral support.