Another KK Mart hit with firebomb, this time in Kuantan

Another KK Mart branch was attacked with a firebomb this morning.

According to police, the incident happened at about 5am at a KK Mart in Sungai Isap, Kuantan, Pahang.

Kuantan district police chief Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu told Malaysiakini that an unknown number of perpetrators had thrown a firebomb that landed on the storefront.

The attack caused some items displayed in front of the store to catch fire.

However, workers inside the mart who heard the attack immediately doused the blaze using a fire extinguisher.

“The bomb, which landed on the carpet in front of the store, ignited and caused a small flame. No one was injured in the incident,” Wan Zahari said.

Police are canvassing the area for evidence and checking CCTV recordings from nearby stores, he added.

Initial investigation revealed that the perpetrator might have thrown the bomb from a distance to avoid being caught by KK Mart’s security camera.

He added that the incident was believed to have been caused by the sale of socks bearing the word Allah at one of its outlets before this.

“The forensics team was also called to assist in the investigation at the crime scene and to obtain evidence to complete the investigation.

“The case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire.”

Section 435 of the Penal Code carries a punishment of a maximum prison sentence of 14 years and a fine.

A spokesperson from the Pahang Fire Department said the incident was believed to be an act of treachery.

However, he said further investigations needed to be conducted by the department’s forensics unit to identify the true cause of the incident.

"The estimated damage of fire is one percent and it does not involve the structure of the building," he added.

A similar incident occurred at a KK Mart outlet in Bidor, Perak on Tuesday (March 26) where a petrol bomb landed at the empty area in front of the Jalan Bruseh outlet.

Fortunately, it did not ignite and no one was injured.

Charged in court

Aside from the firebomb attempt, KK Mart also became the subject of boycott calls from Umno Youth.

Apologising repeatedly, KK Mart said its supplier, who has a consignment shelf at the store, had placed the socks there by mistake.

The supplier, Batu Pahat footwear manufacturer Xin Jiang Chang Sdn Bhd, said an exporter in China had wrongly sent them the socks.

Police said they found only five out of 18,800 socks in the factory had the word Allah, and they were the ones returned by KK Mart.

On March 26, KK Mart founder Chai Kee Kan and his wife Loh Siew Mui, both directors of the company, were charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court with deliberately hurting religious feelings.

Both claimed trial to the charge.

Three Xin Jiang Chang directors were also slapped with criminal charges in relation to the case.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has since called on all parties to stop taking advantage of the issue, saying it should now be left to the authorities.

Sultan Ibrahim said he had already ordered for actions to be taken, so there was no need to keep fuelling anger.

The Johor ruler said such actions were not beneficial and that it was better for all concerned to learn from this incident and strive to strengthen unity.

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