There are about half a dozen KK Mart outlets and five McDonald’s in Kuantan.
However, two violent incidents motivated by boycotts that hit both businesses happened just within 100 metres of each other.
When contacted, police indicated they are not investigating the incidents as related events.
On March 30, a firebomb was thrown at the KK Mart in Sungai Isap, Kuantan in response to outrage over the socks bearing the word “Allah” controversy.
No suspects have been arrested in the case thus far.
Then on last Friday night, just a minute's walk away, a small group staged a heated boycott against McDonald’s.
Chatter on Kuantan social media groups showed some dissatisfaction that Muslims were eating at McDonald’s again seven months after a boycott movement against the fast food franchise over Israel’s continued assault on Gaza.
A video on Facebook - reportedly from Friday night - showed a group riding on the back of a pickup truck and escorted by two motorcycles, circling the Sungai Isap McDonald’s branch while waving the Palestinian flag.
Another video showed the group heckling at those lining up at the McDonald's drive-through, calling them "bodoh" (stupid)
On the same night, a man who had gone to McDonald’s with his family was allegedly taunted by a group.
Police said the man ignored the group at first, but later when leaving the premises, got taunted again.
“When the complainant approached the group, one of them reached for a helmet, which he then gave to a friend and threatened to beat the victim, but the situation was broken up by the victim’s wife,” Kuantan district police chief Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian today.
A police report lodged by the victim has thus far led to the arrest of five suspects who worked as a banker, car salesperson, contractor, businessperson and armed forces member, respectively.
Zahari said one of the suspects admitted to threatening the complainant while the four others only admitted to being present at the location.
It is unclear whether the group involved in the threat was also the same group filmed circling the McDonald’s outlet.
A link between the incident at McDonald’s and the KK Mart firebombing has also not been established yet.
When contacted, Zahari said thus far, the five suspects are not being probed in relation to the KK Mart attack.
“Thus far, the five suspects are only involved in the McDonald’s case,” he told Malaysiakini.
He also said there were no new leads in the KK Mart case for now. - Mkini
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