KFC boycott issue rumbles on as issue of royalties called into question

 

IT WOULD seem Boycott Divestment Sanctions Malaysia’s (BDS) statement clarifying that KFC was never on its list of brand to be boycotted is not enough for some hardcore boycotters.

So long as the fast-food chain synonymous with finger-lickin’ good chicken continues to pay royalties to an American owned company, it was fair game.

This is according to X user Zihadsss (@zihadsss) who claimed that that Johor Corporation (JCorp) was just the operator of the local franchise and that money is still funnelled back to foreign headquarters in the form of royalties.

He was retorting to a post by Farhanisme (@HannZiq) who lamented BDS’s delayed response in clarifying the above issue which he claimed greatly affected the business owned by a state government.

Zihadsss’s post which has since generated 1.5 million views at the time of writing has sparked a heated discussion on the merits of a continued boycott.

Many agreed with his sentiments with a few pointing to the Russian example where McDonalds’s was simply replaced with a home-grown brand.

Another agreed while implying that she was unimpressed by those trying to shame boycotters for turning their backs on KFC.

While stating that the right to boycott is an individual choice, one netizen pointed out that the majority of JCorp’s workforce is Muslim.

More than a few echoed this sentiment that too many boycotters are not thinking of the collateral damage such actions cause.

Some hit back saying that there were far bigger offenders than KFC who did much more than pay royalities with Apple being named as one company whose products are used by many pro-Palestine boycotters.

Reflecting that sentiment, one netizen called for greater perspective.

The many comments highlight just how divisive the issue remains with the water surrounding legitimate boycott targets becoming increasingly muddied.

One netizen probably summed it up best saying it was a matter of individual choice and there was no need for any condemnation from either side.

- Focus Malaysia