A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a store belonging to a Malaysian chain that had offered socks bearing the word “Allah” for sale, the police said on March 30.

The incident came days after the mini-market chain’s executives were charged with hurting religious feelings over the sale of the socks at another of its stores.

Wan Mohamad Zahari Wan Busu, police chief in Kuantan city in Malaysia’s east, said the KK Supermart branch had been hit just before dawn, causing a small fire at the entrance.

He said that the attack was “still under investigation, but we’re not denying that it may be related to the incident involving stockings with the word Allah”.

Employees put out the fire with an extinguisher and no injuries were reported, he said.

Pictures of the socks spread on social media this month, sparking public outrage among some Muslims who regarded them as insulting, especially because they went up for sale during the holy fasting month of Ramzan.

Islam is the official religion in Malaysia and Malay-Muslims make up more than two-thirds of the population of 34 million.

Race and religion are thorny issues in Malaysia, which witnessed deadly racial riots in 1969.

KK Super Mart CEO Chai Kee Kan, 57, and his wife, who serves as a company director, were charged this week with “deliberately intending to hurt the religious feelings” of Malaysians, according to a charge sheet seen by AFP.

Three officials from supplier Xin Jian Chang were also charged with abetting them.

All five pleaded not guilty and face a maximum jail term of one year or a fine, or both, if convicted.

The case drew a rare royal rebuke from Malaysia’s king, who called for an investigation and “strict action” against any party found guilty.

KK Supermart, Malaysia’s second-largest mini-market chain, has apologised for the socks, saying it viewed the matter “seriously” and had taken action to stop their sale immediately.

Supplier Xin Jian Chang also issued an apology, saying the “problematic socks were part of a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered” from a company based in China.

A woman writes a message during an event held by relatives of the passengers and supporters to mark the 10th year since the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 carrying 239 people disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday he would be “happy to reopen” the search for flight MH370 if “compelling” evidence emerged, opening the door to a renewed hunt a decade after the plane disappeared.

“If there is compelling evidence that it needs to be reopened, we will certainly be happy to reopen it,” he said when asked about the matter during a visit to Melbourne.

His comments came as the families marked 10 years since the plane vanished in the Indian Ocean with 239 people aboard.

“I don’t think it’s a technical issue. It’s an issue affecting the lives of people and whatever needs to be done must be done,” he said.

Malaysia Airlines flight 370, a Boeing 777 aircraft, disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Despite the largest search in aviation history, the plane has never been found and the operation was suspended in January 2017.

About 500 relatives and their supporters gathered Sunday at a shopping centre near the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur for a “remembrance day”, with many visibly overcome with grief.

Some of the relatives came from China, where almost two-thirds of the passengers of the doomed plane were from.

“The last 10 years have been a nonstop emotional rollercoaster for me,” Grace Nathan, whose mother Anne Daisy was on the flight, told AFP.

Speaking to the crowd, the 36-year-old Malaysian lawyer called on the government to conduct a new search.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke told reporters that “as far Malaysia is concerned, it is committed to finding the plane… cost is not the issue”.

He told relatives at the gathering that he would meet with officials from Texas-based marine exploration firm Ocean Infinity, which conducted a previous unsuccessful search, to discuss a new operation.

“We are now awaiting for them to provide suitable dates and I hope to meet them soon,” he said.

An earlier Australia-led search that covered 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 square miles) in the Indian Ocean found hardly any trace of the plane, with only some pieces of debris picked up.

Six Australians were aboard MH370.

In Melbourne, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the loved ones of those passengers were suffering “ongoing grief” as he expressed deep “regret” that it could not be located.

“We understand that at this time, it will be a very difficult time for people because they weren’t given the certainty that would come with a successful search mission.”