JOHOR BARU: Johor has set up an action committee to ensure all products and goods sold in the state do not touch on religious issues, following the controversial socks issue.

       "We will set up the Johor Integrated Action Committee tomorrow (March 21), which I will chair along with two other state executive councillors," said Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid.

       "Our first agenda is to come up with guidelines on how to prevent such incidents from ever happening again.

       "The priority is to ensure no products sold anywhere touch on Islam. At the same time, we hope there will be no Muslim companies that come up with a product that will offend sensitivities of other religions.

       "This is our serious warning to all other retailers out there so they can ensure no products for sale create public distress," he said when met by reporters after conducting a check at a KK Super Mart outlet in Taman Abad here on Wednesday (March 20).

       The two other excos in the committee are Johor investment, trade, consumer affairs and human resource committee chairman Lee Ting Han, and Johor housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor.

       "We will also include other government agencies such as the Customs Department, Home Affairs Ministry, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to ensure that we can come up with a holistic approach," he said.

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       Meanwhile, Mohd Fared said inspections were conducted statewide, with a total of 80 KK Super Mart premises checked.

       "The inspection was led by the Johor Islamic Religious Department and local councils in all 10 districts," he said.