Global fast food chain KFC has temporarily shuttered more than 100 of its outlets in Malaysia after months of a persistent pro-Palestine boycott of US-linked businesses triggered by the ongoing war in Gaza.
QSR Brands, which owns and operates the KFC fast-food franchise in Malaysia, is suspending 108 outlets nationwide, reports the Strait Times.
“KFC is not on the BDS list of targeted companies. But many Malaysians see any American fast food operator to be related to Israel including KFC,” said Mohd Nazari Ismail, chairman of the Malaysian chapter of the pro-Palestinian group Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS).
Since the boycott began in October 2023, KFC has also shifted its branding strategy, with signs on its menu boards and distributing flyers emphasising that it is owned by Johor Corporation, which belongs to the Johor state government, to mitigate the boycott.
There are more than 600 KFC restaurants in Malaysia.
