Last week, a group of dissatisfied Palestinian refugees caused a scene at Wisma Transit, Kuala Lumpur. The woman involved has since apologised for the incident but reactions from Malaysians have been mixed. Some condemned the refugees’ actions, suggesting they should be grateful for the shelter provided, while others expressed sympathy, noting that the agitated individuals were likely stressed and traumatised by the destruction of their homeland.
However, there were also those who expressed their intention to withdraw from boycotting global brands as a way to “punish” Palestinians for their misbehaviour in Malaysia. One local TikToker appeared to join this movement, showcasing himself with his McDonald’s, but there is another reason behind his choice. Here’s what he said:
Content creator known as@/thaqibshaker or Thaqib posted a video of him with a McDonald’s meal set claiming that the boycott is pointless. “Before you call me a traitor to Islam, let me explain. The boycott does nothing to Israel as they’re still committing genocide. Even Lebanon is being attacked right now. The boycott has been going on for months but there’s no improvement, only people losing their jobs over it,” he said.
The TikToker then claimed that in comparison to Malaysia, it’s easier for employees abroad to find other jobs if their establishments were closed down due to the boycott. “Every worker at these boycotted chains in our country are all Malays so I’m going to support our local workforce so they can provide for their families,” he explained in the post. If the McD video was not provocative enough, he posted a follow-up video of him purchasing Starbucks, which is another boycotted brand.
As expected, netizens were upset by the influencer’s actions. Many called him out, stating that the boycott represents solidarity with Palestinian lives, even if it does little to halt Israel’s crimes. Others challenged his statement, noting that Malaysians would not face significant difficulties finding new jobs if their businesses were to fail.
Those on Twitter said that although boycotting is a personal choice, Thaqib should’ve kept his statements to himself. Even influencer Ceddy Ang, who has consistently demonstrated his solidarity with Palestine, showed disapproval by highlighting that the controversial content creator once went viral for condemning non-Muslims for fasting during Ramadan. Thaqib also previously attracted online attention for scolding Malaysians for glorifying foreigners.
Watch his McD and Starbucks videos below:
@thaqibshaker
@thaqibshaker
