BOYCOTTERS of American fast-food brands had a test of temptation during the recent Hari Raya festivity when many halal eateries were closed, prompting them to make a beeline to their once favourite joints – KFC and McDonald’s (McD).
This has sparked furore among hardcore boycotters who questioned the “weak faith” of Muslims who frequented those joints, apparently having put the plight of their Palestinian brethren in the backburner just to fulfil the need of filling up their tummies.
Such excessive reaction has nevertheless been shot down by some sensible Muslims – though in the minority – who felt that one should not have gone overboard with the boycott campaign.
“Don’t let the boycott blind you till you’ve to go around recording people’s face as if they’re forbidden to consume McD/KFC,” justified poster 🕊🍉v(@zatyismail_) who re-posted a 17-second video clip of the crowd at a KFC and McD outlet at an unnamed shopping complex.
Boikot jangan sampai membabi buta ye, pegi record muka orang macam dh jatuh haram pula makan McD/Kfc ni. Raya semua kedai tutup. Orang lapar kot. Satu lagi ramai laa org melayu kerja ngan f&b tu. Kita anggap jelaa tolong depa bukannya selalu pun aiyaa https://t.co/tPYfppUEdB
— 🕊🍉 (@zatyismail_) April 11, 2024
“All eateries are closed during Hari Raya and people are hungry. Another thing is that many Malays work in both F&B (food & beverage) outlets. What’s wrong to once in a while do them a favour?”
The call was echoed by other netizens who feel that the staunch boycotters have no right “to ban” others from choosing what they wish to buy with their own money. This is despite another netizen sarcastically reminded him that both KFC and McD are part of the boycotters’ target.
Nevertheless, the poster was quick to back the netizen by stating that people can resort to whatever options they deemed viable during desperate times. 
However, one netizen questioned the poster as to why people who frequented KFC and McD did not opt for local option such as Marrybrown or selected other local eateries as most would have already opened for business at shopping complexes. However, some concurred with the poster that many Malay/Muslim eateries have yet to open.
As one netizen rightly pointed out, the boycott exercise is not limited to food items but also electrical/electronic appliances, vehicles, information communications technology (ICT) devices and many more.
Moreover, as the poster pointed out, the boycotters seemed to have forgotten or wrongly assumed that jobs are easy to come in the current rough economic patch.
Another netizen contended that while boycotting KFC and McD would not inflict the desirable economic impact on the Zionist economy, at least such action “could pressure those companies to be better behaved and be more sensitive”.
Whatever said and done. the poster continued to berate the act of recording the faces of the KFC ad McD customers without permission given such blatant action violates one’s privacy. – April 14, 2024
