Type C, Type W and Type R

 

It’s sad that even fried chicken can become a racial issue in Malaysia.

By now, many people know about “Type C”. No, not the USB phone cable but a term believed to mean Chinese Malaysians.

This was when Darsa Fried Chicken (DFC) warned against “negative sentiments played up by ‘type C’”. This was a racist response to a netizen who noted that its prices appeared to be higher than KFC’s, a mainstay DFC aims to compete with, and even replace.

But come on, if anybody was trying to bring down DFC, it would be KFC. Yet the franchise holder is not a Chinese company but the state-owned Johor Corp.

Type W business?

If we’re going to typecast Malaysians, I confess my love for “Type M” food like rendang, masak merah, and asam pedas. And Malays in turn love halal Chinese food such as pau, dim sum, and tau foo fah. That’s food harmony.

Western food, namely fried chicken and burgers, is supposed to be a “neutral ground” for all races.

But DFC is trumpeted as a “100 percent bumiputera-owned” business linked to former Kedah PAS Ulama Council deputy chief Syeikh Zainul Asri Mohd Romli, a popular preacher with over 800,000 Facebook followers.

The PAS link makes DFC a “Type W” business. W for “walaun”, a term for those who are blindly loyal (“walak”) to party leaders despite their controversial politics, such as secretly being in bed with Umno before the 2018 elections.

During the opening of the DFC outlet in Bukit Beruntung, Selangor, Zainul said that the business can “show that Malaysian Muslims have the buying power that can bring down other strong people”.

He added that those who buy from KFC are “contributing to Israel” while DFC customers are supporting “pondok” (tahfiz schools).

Hate marketing

Sigh… is there a need for such negative emotions? To compete based on being “against others”? Whatever happened to solid old business values such as taste, quality, service and pricing?

Does “hate marketing” work? In contrast, KFC made it big by selling happiness - “it’s finger lickin’ good”. While McDonald’s charms with “I’m lovin’ it”.

What is DFC’s sales pitch? Given Zainul’s opening speech, perhaps it's “Raise Muslim power with every bite”?

In my previous article about people being “blinded by boycotts” of American franchises, I wrote that this was an opportunity for Malaysian companies to gain market share.

Hence Marrybrown can gain from KFC/McD. And local coffee chains Zus, Gigi, Bask Bear and Richiamo offer cheaper and better cappuccino compared to overpriced Starbucks.

But none of those examples are claiming to be “anti-American”. They are just offering alternative products at lower prices. In other words, good old business competition.

Buy Muslim First

DFC seems to continue the spirit of earlier boycotts of non-Muslim products and the BMF - Buy Muslim First - movement of 2019. These social media campaigns came amid heightened racial and religious tension over the Jawi khat issue and Zakir Naik.

Earlier in 2013 and 2014, several Facebook groups called for a boycott against “DAP Chinese” products.

Another famous moment was when Ismail Sabri Yaakob pushed in 2015 to set up the Mara Digital Mall to rival Kuala Lumpur’s most famous IT centre at Low Yat Plaza.

But by 2021, a visit by Ong Kian Ming revealed that it was a flop as it had alienated non-Muslim customers.

Another reason was that all three Mara digital malls depended on a single supplier, encouraging politicians who wanted a “hand in the pie”.

In November 2023, the Malakat Mall of Cyberjaya and an Islamic cooperative spearheaded another BMF campaign. Not much has been heard about that business crusade since.

Divided we fall

All this is very divisive for a multiracial nation. What happens next? Will non-Muslims respond by boycotting local “Malay banks”? Given an unfriendly retail situation, will they invest overseas instead of locally?

Will products sourced from China be banned? Will Japanese cars be shunned?

Will American systems like Microsoft and Google be boycotted? Will Facebook be abandoned due to its Jewish Americaboss? Are there Muslim alternatives?

We are not a big and strong country. Remember that boycotts are like a double-edged sword that can cut both ways.

For instance, in 2019 after then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad made comments about Muslim-majority Kashmir, India threatened to stop buying Malaysian palm oil.

The strategy of using religion for business reminds me of the “halal laundry” launched in 2017 at Muar. In response, Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar said it would lead to more narrow-minded actions in the name of Islam if such actions were not stopped.

“This is Johor, which belongs to all races and faiths. This is a progressive, modern and moderate state.

“This is not a Taliban state. As the head of Islam in Johor, I find this action to be totally unacceptable,” he said.

In other words, the sultan was saying, “United we stand, divided we fall.”

Type H harmony

DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok has called for cooler heads over DFC, cautioning that an “eye for an eye retaliation would make Malaysia blind”.

While noting that the “type C” remark was “most regrettable”, Kok said that the restaurant has apologised and declared that it “welcomes people of all races and faiths so we should move on”.

“We should not adopt a similar mindset as those who fanned the flames on the KK Mart issue. We should not ruin Malaysian businesses,” she added.

DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok

I describe Kok as “Type H” for “harmony”. We need more leaders like her to bring a level-headed approach to our many racial problems.

What we should really be wary of are the “Type R”. No, not the turbo-charged “racing” cars from Honda.

But those who use race and religion for political power. Or to sell fried chicken. - Mkini

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ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.