KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — Umno Youth Chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh has pledged to heed the decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, in embracing peace, harmony, and preserving the sanctity of Islam.
In a Facebook post, he said the decision was to maintain religious harmony and reduce the polemic.
The King had granted a royal audience to senior leaders from UMNO and DAP at Istana Negara today, which focused on current developments related to sensitive religious and racial issues.
Sultan Ibrahim also cautioned political leaders in the country to not engage in extreme rhetoric when discussing religious and racial matters.
His Majesty said leaders from all parties should serve as an unifying force within the nation’s diverse society, examplifying maturity and responsibility in their conduct.
Apart from Akmal, leaders present at the audience include Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Melaka Umno Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, and DAP deputy-secretary general Liew Chin Tong.
On April 5, police detained Akmal, who has been leading boycott calls against local convenience store chain KK Mart, at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport to assist investigations under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1958 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998.
The issue started with photographs circulated on social media showing socks bearing the word ‘Allah’ sold at KK Mart’s Bandar Sunway outlet on March 13 which incited Muslim anger.
— Bernama
