KFC closes outlets in Muslim-majority areas of Malaysia as anti-Israel boycott begins to bite

The US chicken franchise, fast-food rival McDonald’s and coffee chain Starbucks are all being targeted by boycotts triggered by Israel’s war on Gaza

Online checks showed more than two dozen KFC outlets marked as temporarily closed, most in the Muslim-majority states of Kelantan, Kedah and Terenggan

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A commuter train displaying prominent KFC advertising in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The company that owns the KFC franchise in Malaysia said it had temporarily closed outlets “to manage increasing business costs and focus on high-engagement zones”. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:08pm, 30 Apr 2024Updated: 4:34pm, 1 May 2024

In Malaysia, the franchise holder for American fast-food giant KFC says it has been forced to temporarily close numerous outlets, citing “challenging economic conditions”, as consumers in the Muslim-majority nation persist with a months-long boycott against brands perceived to have links with Israel.

KFC has joined the ranks of fast-food rival McDonald’s and coffee franchise Starbucks – all American chains – in becoming targets of a nationwide boycott movement in Malaysia triggered by Israel’s war on Gaza, which has received backing from Washington in the form of military aid.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in nearly 35,000 Palestinian deaths – the majority of them civilians – according to health authorities in the Hamas-controlled enclave, with many of its 2.3 million residents also displaced.

QSR Brands, the company that has held the KFC franchise in Malaysia since 1973, said it had taken proactive measures to temporarily close outlets “to manage increasing business costs and focus on high-engagement zones”.

“Employees from affected outlets were offered the opportunity to relocate to busier operating stores as part of the company’s re-optimisation efforts,” the company said in a statement released late on Monday. It did not say how many outlets had been shut.

Checks on Google for KFC restaurants operating in Malaysia showed more than two dozen outlets marked as temporarily closed, mostly in the Muslim-majority states of Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu in the Malay Peninsula’s north.

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KFC Malaysia temporarily closes some outlets amid anti-Israel boycott

KFC Malaysia employs around 18,000 people, with 85 per cent of them being Muslim, according to company figures.