PETALING JAYA – Malaysian police are looking into an allegation that the word “Allah” in Arabic script has been found on the sole of a shoe.

Inspector-General Razarudin Husain, when contacted, said police were looking into the matter.

“I’m checking,” he said briefly on April 7.

Umno Youth chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh said he received a message from an unspecified individual on Facebook that the shoe was found in a local shoe shop.

Dr Akmal said on viewing the illustration in question, it appeared to him to be of a high-heeled shoe and strap.

The owner of the local shoe company, when contacted by The Star, said the issue had been misunderstood.

He said the illustration in question was the logo of a shoe manufacturer based in China.

He said his company would issue a statement on the matter shortly.

He also said he would lodge a police report. 

This latest incident follows a still simmering controversy involving Malaysian retail chain KK Mart over socks bearing the word “Allah” that were sold at its stores.

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

Islam is the official religion in Malaysia and Malay-Muslims make up more than two-thirds of the population of 34 million. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK