FAMILYMART Malaysia recently released a statement regarding calls to boycott the popular convenience store franchise in the country.
This was in response to news that its parent company had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an Israeli company to import defence technology for Japan’s national security.
The statement claims that the MoU has now been terminated. It said this was in support of the Japan government’s support of the international Court of Justice order which includes preventing acts of genocide in the Gaza strip.
Boycotters showing solidarity with Palestine in the Israel-Hamas conflict will hail this as a major victory, a proof that their tactics work. By boycotting companies and its subsidiaries which are seen to be pro-Israel, they have exerted consumer power that influenced those organisations into making U-turns.
The statement posted on FamilyMart Malaysia’s Facebook page has generated a lot of positive feedback and been shared 1,100 times at the time of writing.
Here is a sample of netizen comments:
More than a few underlined that boycotter’s actions worked.
However, not all were convinced with some cynical netizens demanding proof that the MoU had indeed been terminated.
Some netizens remained cynical and stated they were not changing their stance till it was confirmed the MoU had indeed been terminated.
All said and done, it appears to be a win-win situation as FamilyMart is off most of its boycotters’ hook with many of its fans now free to patronise the stores again.
While boycotters rejoice in the effectiveness of their actions, it is hoped that they exercise their collective power in a responsible manner as opposed to randomly targetting organisations or businesses that are guilty of no wrongdoing. – Feb 7, 2024
