Starting last month, many Malaysians have opted for local brands as alternatives from international companies that showed even a hint of support for Israel. However, some of these boycotts may be a bit too much as there was a debate on whether Muslims should continue purchasing ZUS Coffee after speculations that the brand was inspired by the Greek god Zeus.
Another local brand that apparently felt the need to clear their name was US Pizza. It appears that some have raised concerns about whether or not the franchise actually originated from Malaysia or the United States. Here’s what the company said to address those concerns:
US Pizza released a statement yesterday (Thursday, 16th November) to clarify the speculations that suggested that they are a brand that originated from the United States of America, a country in which the government has provided aid to Israel’s armed forces. The speculations started because of the brand’s name “US Pizza” as many believed the “US” stands for “United States”.
In their statement, the company wrote, “Kindly be informed that US Pizza refers to the words “Us” (Kita in Bahasa Melayu). It is totally a LOCAL incorporated company.” The owner, Dr. Haji Mohd Sobree also explained that their outlet in Kajang is a Muslim-owned family business. While the explanation seems logical enough, it also sparked a debate among netizens on Twitter with many being skeptical about the statement given.
Some netizens felt like there was no need for the fast food chain to release a statement to avoid getting boycotted as it might do more harm than good. Others called out the franchise for allegedly lying about the origins of the name since the restaurant’s theme incorporated images of the Statue of Liberty and the American flag in their designs and the fact that the founder was an American named Donald Duncan.
While it is understandable why netizens would have their doubts about the brand, a few pointed out that the founder opened the first-ever US Pizza outlet in Penang, Malaysia back in 1997 and that the company has no ties with the country it was inspired by nor do they pay any royalties to the US. Additionally, the brand has continuously shown their support for Palestine by holding contests and campaigns where the money will be used to provide aid for the people in Gaza, as seen in the screenshots below.
Despite the clarification, it ultimately depends on whether or not customers would continue to support the business. What do you think of US Pizza’s statement? Was it necessary or should they have kept quiet?
