Israel-Gaza war: Malaysians mock Starbucks franchise owner Vincent Tan’s calls to end boycott
- The US coffee chain’s local franchise, run by Tan’s Berjaya Food, has seen its revenues plunge amid accusations its parent company supports Israel
- Tan’s exhortations to end the boycott were met on social media with wit, defiance – and calls for him to cut ties with Starbucks altogether
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Hadi Azmi
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Published: 11:38am, 5 Mar, 2024
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Malaysian social media has been awash with wry humour and defiance after consumer-goods mogul Vincent Tan appealed for an end to a costly boycott of Starbucks in the country over its alleged links to Israel.
Customers in Malaysia began spurning the US coffee chain’s local franchise, run by Tan’s Berjaya Food company, amid accusations that the Seattle-headquartered multinational supports Israel’s Gaza offensive, which has killed more than 30,500 people, many of them women and children, according to the latest toll from the Hamas-run enclave’s health ministry.
Israel launched its nearly five-monthlong bombardment of Gaza in response to an October 7 attack by Hamas that resulted in about 1,160 deaths and the taking of around 250 hostages.
Palestinians inspect the debris of a house destroyed by Israeli bombing in Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday. More than 30,500 people have been killed in Gaza since October, according to the Hamas-run enclave’s health ministry. Photo: AFP
Tan, whose net worth of more than US$695 million makes him the 28th richest person in the country, according to Forbes, called for Malaysians to stop boycotting Starbucks Malaysia, which he said is wholly locally owned and run – stressing that more than 80 per cent of its employees are Muslims.
“It’s all Malaysian-owned, it’s run by Malaysians. It’s just a franchise, it’s not owned by an American,” the 72-year-old said in comments reported by local newspaper Business Times.
But the appeal appears to have fallen flat on social media, where few made the distinction about ownership or empathised with the mega-rich Tan, rejecting the call to end one of the few direct actions available to Muslim Malaysians enraged by the Israeli deadly assault on Gaza.
“All of a sudden the ultra-rich tycoon spoke up to gain sympathy from the people. Perhaps he just realised that the source of his wealth comes from the people,” said Wak Solihin on Facebook.Another Facebook user named Diana said that she was surprised to hear the multimillionaire – who rarely makes public comments – raising concerns about the jobs of average Malaysians.
“One of the richest men who never cared for the people of Malaysia, suddenly speaks on behalf of us,” she said.
Others said Tan’s interjection on the boycott issue served as a reminder to the country’s rich and privileged that ordinary people still retain some power.
Protesters holding placards and Palestinian flags march towards the US embassy during a rally against the Gaza war in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. Photo: Sopa Images via Zuma Press Wire/dpa
“They are also afraid of the Malaysian people’s boycott power. With the people’s power, even governments can fall,” Shahrom Siddiq said.
On February 21, Berjaya Food reported a 38 per cent year-on-year decline in revenue – falling to 182.55 million ringgit (US$38.6 million) in the October-December quarter, compared to 295.32 million ringgit during the same period in 2022.
Alongside Starbucks, McDonald’s Malaysia is also facing the brunt of the boycott, with the licence holder of the American hamburger chain suing the organisers of the local arm of the international boycott, divest and sanctions movement for defamation.
While Tan says he expects the company to rebound, research houses have posted advisory notes to investors warning that the boycott could last longer than initially expected with no near-term resolution to the conflict in sight.
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Amid the brickbats, many on social media urged Tan to scrap his Starbucks business altogether and start his own coffee brand – free from any associations with wider geopolitics.“You know why people are boycotting Starbucks, even if there are only minimal ties to the parent company,” Instagram user Tobias Isaac de Jong said.
“Why can’t you just start a coffee chain exclusively owned by Berjaya that isn’t affiliated with that particular regime? I reckon many Malaysians will flock to it.”
The high cost of coffee at the American chain is another point of contention, with Facebook user Shen Yee Liang saying the price at Starbucks is double that of local cafes.
“We save a lot of money and at the same time, we will help small businesses to grow, pay their bills and earn a living. Win-win. Isn’t this way better?”
