自KK便利店被发现上架视为“对宗教敏感和不正确”的袜子而引发争议以来，其迂回曲折的剧情已成了公众焦点，甚至连好莱坞/宝莱坞的剧本可能都比不上。
这可被称为“袜子门”的事件，即有少量袜子印上了真主字眼，是由穆斯林传教士黄伟雄在社交媒体上揭发的，并迅速火爆，自3月中旬以来一直占据新闻头条。如今，国家元首苏丹依布拉欣依斯干达必须出手干预，以平息被点燃的高度易燃之宗教和种族激情。
这会否是一项破坏举动？如果是这样，这就像悬疑刺激故事或著名女作家阿加莎克里斯蒂的侦探剧，需要阿加莎小说里的神探赫尔克里波洛来破案，因为这似乎远远超出了警察和其他当局解决的能力。
这其中会否有更大的商业、政治利益视角？今天的电影观众有更高期待，希望观赏到的作品，远远超出了一般简单黑帮情节，而“袜子门”这一出戏可能含有的元素，恰好符合这要求，因其可能包含了政治和商业势力的幕后冲突；以及对种族和宗教情绪操纵。但哪些政党涉及其中，哪些人在观望，而又如何从中受益？
大制作需求
任何大片制作都必须由演员将创造力与吸引力相结合，以及能满足大众诉求的潜能。在“袜子门”事件中，两位“英雄”主角为他们所声称陷入困境和遭侮辱的宗教而战，他们似乎拥有X因素，具有非凡的能力，可以为他们选择的任何“作品”或问题点燃火焰。
第一个主角是银幕上相对较新的人物。这位才华横溢的煽动家渴望凭借自己的处女作赢得“马来西亚奥斯卡奖”，他在影片之外迅速累积了庞大全国粉丝群，他对政治和生活其他方面的看法受到了崇拜者的追捧和密切关注。
第二个人经历可说坎坷不平，但因其宗教“虔诚”而闻名，这在马来西亚日益成为一种资产，尤其在世俗主义者被指在马来西亚肆意妄为，造成社会分裂和混乱背景下。
女主角的缺席可被视为“袜子门”这部作品的弱点之一。在当今马来西亚电影制片人面临严格管制环境中，一位强势的女主角本可以为故事添加另一个情节。但这也有可能是“制作者”担心过度炒作，令作品添加复杂性；更糟的是，这可被指控为迎合外国的性别平等概念。
同样缺乏的是类似宝莱坞制作里的歌舞元素吸引力。然而，评论家们认为如果有女性角色激烈捍卫自己的权利，并在愤怒的顾客面前坚守立场，更有戏剧性场景。
也许“袜子门”事件中最震撼人心的时刻来自于燃烧弹的场景。引入这些视觉上令人惊叹的动作，为制作方提供了一个挑衅的维度。其也凸显了每部影片甚至小预算视频的导演和制片人都面临的一个关键困境。这就是，袜子门的结局应是悲剧还是喜剧？或者应该暂时搁置答案，等待另一集的制作，而这有可能成为长期热门影片。
袜子门之后
与此同时，袜子门事件已经产生了强有力的支持者，以及那些被视为怀疑者甚至反对的人，尽管后者通常低调地公开表达他们的反对意见。在种族和宗教紧张的背景下，试图在这部作品中占据中间立场的是“中立”观众，他们试图透过诉诸寻求和给予宽恕的普世价值观，来安抚并调和两个对立粉丝群的情绪。这似乎没有引起什么共鸣，其他人则认为他们完全无关紧要，或者是在迎合骚乱的绥靖者和辩护者。
袜子门的下一步如何发展？可见的未来，这部作品的投资方正在考虑后续计划。开拍类似奈飞的连续剧？销往中东和国际市场？把其改编成悲喜剧？
事实上，袜子门已经在马来西亚电影界之外产生了连锁反应。有消息称，外交界对此议论纷纷，这部以其独创且高效的方式来策划和操纵种族和宗教问题作品，令美国总统拜登和其竞争对手特朗普阵营兴奋不已。随著“水门事件”迅速从美国人的脑海中消失，这引发了人们对如何在美国总统竞选中利用袜子门战略的思考；甚至运用到全球地缘政治中。
后记
来自朋友关于袜子门的简单思考
我就是从事这行业的。这可能是库存清仓问题。否则，所有KK便利店估计销售的3万双袜子中不可能只有5双有问题。
事件可能就是，中国有商家清仓大销售。这位马来西亚进口商说：“好吧，我会以每件20美分的价格买下这些货品。”换句话说，这个款式有10双，那个款式有983件，另一种款式有588件。他没有时间检查每一种设计（进口商、零售商和海关官员也没有），他只知道“一般外观”。之后，他以3令吉的价格卖给零售商。然后零售商以5.90令吉的价格出售。
这是很常见的商业操作。
多年以来，我就对鞋子、盘子、玻璃器皿等商品采购如此操作。如今商家也是如此营运的。
那些简单地评论说这是故意挑衅的人，其可说是完全没有商业意识。有哪一个商家会去想办法通过激怒顾客来打击自己的生意？
林德宜《大马热门影片：袜子门事件如何结局？》原文：Malaysia’s Mega Movie Hit : How Will Sockgate End?
Hollywood/Bollywood scripting is unlikely to be able to better Malaysia's controversy over socks for the twists and turns that have riveted the public's attention since the discovery of what has been deemed as ‘religiously sensitive and incorrect’ socks in a KK mart store.
Now referred to as the country’s ‘Sockgate ', the report of a small number of socks bearing the name of Allah by Firdaus Wong, Muslim convert preacher, quickly went viral and has stayed on the front pages since mid March. It has now necessitated the intervention of the country’s king, Yang di Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Sultan Iskandar, to cool down the highly combustible religious and racial passions ignited.
Was it sabotage? If so, this has the makings of a cloak and dagger or Agatha Christie mystery drama that requires a Hercule Poirot to solve it, seeing that it appears to be well beyond the capabilities of the police and other authorities to resolve it.
Is there a big business, big political angle to it? Movie goers today are looking to view and enjoy productions that go well beyond simple gangster plots which this one may well have. Sockgate does it well as it contains the possibility of behind the scene hidden hands with political and business forces in conflict; and the manipulation of race and religious sentiments. But which are the political parties involved, which are watching and waiting on the sideline, and how are they benefitting?
Blockbuster Requirements
Any blockbuster production must feature starring actors that combine creativity with the talent to beguile; as well as have the potential to generate mass appeal. The two leading ‘heroic’ protagonists fighting for what they claim to be a beleaguered and disrespected religion appear to have the x factor in their extraordinary ability to light fires for whatever production or issue they select.
The first protagonist is a relatively new arrival to the screen. An accomplished orator fire-brand aspiring to win a Malaysian Oscar for his debut film outing, the actor has rapidly built a national fan base outside films, with his views on other aspects of politics and life sought for and closely followed by his adoring supporters.
The second has had a chequered career but is renowned for his religious ‘piety’ which is increasingly an asset in Malaysia where secularists are alleged to be running amok and responsible for causing division and chaos.
The absence of a lead female actress may be seen as one of the weaknesses of this production. In the rigidly controlled environment that filmmakers face today in Malaysia, a strong female lead could have added another story line to the plot. But it is also possible that the producers were concerned with over-cooking the complexities of this production; and worse, be accused of pandering to foreign concepts of gender equality.
Also lacking is the song and dance appeal that a Bollywood production could have provided. Reviewers, however, have pointed approvingly to the dramatic scenes of female characters engaged in poignant defence of their rights and standing their ground against enraged customers.
Perhaps the most powerful and electrifying moments in Sockgate come from the fire bombing scenes. The introduction of these visually stunning actions provide a provocative dimension to the production. It also highlights a key dilemma which every director and producer of a movie or even budget video is confronted with. This is, should Sockgate have a sad or happy ending? Or should the answer be left in abeyance to await the production of yet another episode in what has the potential to become a long running hit.
Sockgate’s Aftermath
Meanwhile Sockgate has generated strong supporters as well as those seen as sceptics or even opponents, although the latter are generally quiet in openly voicing their disapproval. Trying to occupy the middle ground in this production with its backdrop of racial and religious tension are ‘neutral’ viewers attempting to pacify sentiments and reconcile the two opposing fan bases by appealing to universal values of seeking and giving forgiveness. The latter appear to have little resonance and others see them as quite irrelevant or pandering to the appeasers and apologists of disorder.
What next for Sockgate? In the coming future, investors in this production are mulling on plans for follow up. A netflix type series? Selling it to the Middle East and an international market? Reconstituting it as a tragicomedy?
Sockgate in fact is already having ripple effects beyond the film world in Malaysia. The diplomatic circuit is abuzz with the news that this production has gotten the Biden and Trump camps excited for its original and highly effective approach to choreographing and manipulating race and religion issues. With “Watergate” rapidly receding from American minds, this is provoking thinking about how the Sockgate strategy can be exploited in the US presidential campaign; and even in global geopolitics.
Post script
From a friend on the innocent beginning of Sockgate
I was in this kind of business. This was probably a stock clearance matter. Otherwise, there can not be just 5 pairs amongst an estimated 30,000 pairs being sold in all KK Marts.
So, someone in China wants to clear old stocks. This Malaysian importer says, "ok, I'll order all your stocks for USD 0.20 cents, lock, stock & barrel. In other words, there are 10 pairs of this design & 983 pcs of that design & 588 pieces of another design. He doesn't have time to go through every design (neither does the importer, the retailer, nor the customs officer), he just knows the "general look." He goes back & sells them at, say, RM3.00 to a retailer. The retailer then sells them for, say, RM5.90.
This is very common.
I did this for shoes, plates, glassware, etc, many times many years ago. People still do it.
Those who simply comment that it's a deliberate attempt to provoke have zero & zilch business sense. Who has the time to think of ways of reducing their business through irritating their customers ?!
