KK Mart founder, wife claim trial to hurting religious feelings

SHAH ALAM: Five people and two companies were charged at the Sessions Court here over their link to the distribution and sale of socks with the word “Allah” on them.

The first to be in the dock was KK Mart Group founder and executive chairman Datuk Seri Dr Chai Kee Kan.

Chai, 57, claimed trial to a charge under Section 298 of the Penal Code for intentionally wounding the religious feelings of others by allegedly putting the socks for sale.

Also charged under the same Code was Chai’s 53-year-old homemaker wife Loh Siew Mui in her capacity as company director, who also claimed trial.

The charge was read in English to Chai and his wife.

Defence counsel Datuk Rajpal Singh pleaded for bail to be set at RM5,000 as punishment under the charge is a maximum jail term of one year and a fine, or both.

He said Chai is not a flight risk as he helmed 810 KK Mart outlets which employed 5,000 people, other than being a philanthropist and head of several non-governmental organisations.

DPP Datuk Masri Daud, who was the lead prosecutor, offered bail at RM15,000, before Sessions Court judge Muhamad Anas Mahadzir set bail at RM10,000 with one surety, without additional conditions.

As for Loh, Rajpal said although she was a director of the company, she is a homemaker raising two children aged 21 and 17, and asked for a bail of RM5,000 for Loh given the circumstances.

Muhamad Anas set bail at RM10,000 with one surety and no additional conditions for Loh.

Also in the dock were the directors of Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd, which is the Batu Pahat-based company that supplied the socks to KK Mart.

Soh Chin Huat, 61, his wife Goh Li Huay, 62, and their daughter Soh Hui San, 36, were all individually charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code, which was read together with Section 298 of the same Code.

All three were accused of abetting the said offence by supplying KK Mart with the socks.

The charges were read in Malay to Soh and his daughter, and in Mandarin to Goh.

The trio were offered bail at RM10,000 each with one surety.

Also charged were KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd and Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd.

The former was charged under Section 298 of the Penal Code whilst the latter was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code which was read together with Section 298 of the Same Code.

Muhamad Anas fixed April 29 for case mention.

Datuk Rajpal Singh, Datuk RS Sodhi, Datuk Theng Book, Datuk David Gurupatham and James Ee appeared for Chai, Loh and KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd, while Lau Yi Leong appeared for Soh, his wife and daughter as well as Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd.

The prosecution team consisted of Masri, Khairul Azreem Mamat, Kuala Hayati Ku Haron, Noor Haslinda Che Seman, and Nadia Mohd Izhar.