McDonald’s Malaysia’s Move To Sue Boycott Movement Slammed
It is generally known that when a boycott takes place, it is the people’s choice to decide whether they want to boycott a certain company or not.
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McDonald’s Malaysia (MCD) recently initiated legal action against a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Malaysia (BDS Malaysia) for allegedly disparaging their business.
READ MORE: Pro-Palestine Group BDS Malaysia Faces Legal Challenge From McDonald’s Malaysia
The fast food chain confirmed that they filed a civil suit against BDS Malaysia to protect their rights and interests in accordance with the law.
“We further reiterate our stand that McDonald’s Malaysia does not channel any sales, profits, royalties or franchise fees from restaurant operations to support any political cause or conflict in any part of the world. While we understand and respect that the act of boycotting is an individual decision, we believe that it should be based on true facts and not false allegations,” McDonald’s Malaysia said in a statement.
BDS Malaysia denied any actions of defamation and has decided to let the court decide on the matter.
When the matter made headlines, many took to social media to criticise McDonald’s Malaysia’s move.
Some pointed out that BDS Malaysia is not the primary reason for them boycotting McDonald’s; and that it was because of the support that McDonald’s (in Israel) had been showing support to Israeli soldiers.
Hello McDonalds Malaysia, without @BdsMalaysia pun the people have chosen to boycott McD.
— fxndtxha (@FxndTaha) December 30, 2023
The pictures coming from Israel of McDonalds continuously & proudly feeding the IDF is enough to turn people off for good.
Sue McD Israel, they have destroyed your brand. not BDS. https://t.co/4gj5gJE8DL
Ingatkan dia nak sue HQ McD sebab punca dorang support israel menyebabkan sales Mcd Malaysia drop. Tapi tak, dia nak saman BDS. Babi punya Mcdonalds.
— pitt. (@pittssuda) December 30, 2023
Others pointed out that it is better to buy local products rather than McDonald’s.
Suing them for not buying their products or telling others not buy their products as an feedback?
— ♔ BxciiNG ♔ (@BxciiNG) December 30, 2023
Sounds like a new business model… you don't buy my products, u get sued!
Who wants to eat McDonald's crap 💩 when Malaysians have a variety of local burgers like Rendang Burger or Sambal Goreng Pegantin Burger, to name a few.
— Nori Sarman, MSc, GMBPsS (@NoriSarman) December 31, 2023
McDonald’s sucks anyway, stop eating their junk food for your health if not for Gaza.
— Suleiman Alfred Massarweh, MD 🇯🇴🇺🇸 (@DrMassarweh) December 31, 2023
I'm from Malaysia, the price of MacDonald meal on average are significantly more expensive than local dish no brainer. Also, Malaysians are better of supporting their local business.
— amiaque (@amiaque2b) December 31, 2023
The Malaysian government and @MuhyiddinYassin should remove their business license and prevent them from operating in their country. They only sell junk food anyways and it’s not healthy for the Malaysian population.
— FalastiniPali (@amjrama) December 31, 2023
Also sharing his two cents is former Education Minister Prof Dr Maszlee Malik who remarked on Twitter that the legal action was a bad marketing move by McDonald’s Malaysia as it would only prompt more people to boycott them further.
Siapalah yg advise McD Malaysia ni.
— Maszlee Malik 🏴🇲🇾 (@maszlee) December 31, 2023
It’s a bad marketing and will only enhance the boycott call against them.
People will only see them as standing on the side of those Children butchers. https://t.co/7Kxb5jKGJC
Based on the sentiment we can observe on social media, Maszlee’s not entirely wrong.
Organic Boycott
The boycott of McDonald’s Malaysia following the escalation of the conflict in Gaza is categorised as an organic boycott.
Organic boycott simply means it was not initiated by NGOs or companies but was a move taken by people in reaction to issues, in this case the Palestine-Israel conflict.
“The BDS movement did not initiate these grassroots boycott campaigns but is in support of them due to these brands openly supporting Israel’s genocide against Palestinians,” BDS Malaysia had said.
READ: The movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel is the best way to put our solidarity into action. Click through to read tips on making your BDS campaign a success. https://t.co/k9LOAZMIny
— BDS movement (@BDSmovement) December 27, 2023
It is generally known that when a boycott takes place, it is the people’s choice to decide whether they want to boycott a certain company or not.
McDonalds Malaysia
McDonald’s Malaysia has stated that it does not condone the Middle East conflict and has contributed RM1 million to the Palestinian Humanitarian Fund.
The company has expressed its solidarity with the innocent victims in Gaza and pledges to continue praying for peace in the region.
McDonald’s Malaysia also clarified that it does not use its profits, royalties, or franchise fees to support any political cause or conflict worldwide, as reported by NST.
Is Boycott Legal In Malaysia?
According to Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, every citizen in our country has the right to freedom of speech and expression.
Considering that boycotting is a form of expression, it is legal in Malaysia. However, it becomes illegal when a product or a company is boycotted through defamation.
In conclusion, there are many layers to this case of McDonald’s Malaysia suing BDS. However, as seen on social media, the move impacted McDonald’s Malaysia more than BDS.
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