People around the world have voiced their thoughts regarding what’s been happening between Palestine and Israel. During these trying times, many, including Malaysians, have taken the initiative to ban or boycott products or businesses that support the Israeli government and many believe McDonald’s to be one of those businesses.
McDonald’s Malaysia took to their socials to address concerns among Malaysian customers about their political stance on this ongoing conflict.
Over the weekend, the Israel branch of McDonald’s came under fire for giving away free meals to Israeli soldiers. This move has caused the people in Malaysia to be concerned about whether their money will contribute to Palestine’s oppressors. McDonald’s Malaysia quickly clarified those issues in a statement posted yesterday (Sunday, 15th October).
In the statement, the company said, “A unilateral decision made by an individual franchise should not be considered a global action, company policy, or an official political stance taken by McDonald’s globally,” before adding that McDonald’s Malaysia (Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd) is a local operating company which has also been acquired by Lionhorn Pte. Ltd. under the Reza Group companies from Saudi Arabia since 2017. “Since the acquisition, [the company] has been a 100% Muslim-owned entity.”
While the statement has put some minds at ease, others felt that the food establishment should do more to contribute to aid the people of Palestine. Some netizens pointed out how the company always have to put out a similar statement to avoid any misunderstanding.
As mentioned by netizens, this was not really the first time McDonald’s Malaysia had put out a similar statement. In case you didn’t know, the local branch of the fast food chain has issued multiple statements in the past denying claims that they’ve aided Israel after calls to boycott the business.
Regardless, some people still have their doubts regarding the matter as McDonald’s Malaysia only denied their support for Israel but did not specifically mention if they support Palestine, as seen in the latest statement. The company has yet to address those concerns.
Sources: Instagram, NST, BHarian, TheRakyatPost
