Malaysian footwear brand Vern's 'Allah' logo design lands firm in trouble; over 1,000 shoes seized

Source: CNA

SINGAPORE: A footwear company in Malaysia has landed in hot soup after its logo - which purportedly resembles the Arabic script for "Allah" - was seen on its shoe soles, prompting the firm to issue an apology even as police investigations are underway.

This latest incident comes amid an ongoing issue in the country regarding the sale of socks bearing the word "Allah" by convenience store chain KK Super Mart.

Eight police reports have been lodged against homegrown footwear brand Vern's, Bernama reported on Sunday (Apr 7).

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain told local media that the firm is being investigated under Section 298 of the Penal Code - which pertains to the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of others - as well as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"The police have opened an investigation paper after receiving a report from a 35-year-old man ... who claimed to have seen a video related to the issue of the word 'Allah' on the shoe soles on his Facebook page," Mr Razarudin was quoted as saying by Bernama.

A three-minute video purportedly showing a man claiming that the Vern's shoes he purchased had displayed a logo believed to resemble the word "Allah" has since gone viral, the news agency reported.