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KFC Malaysia has shut down over 100 branches due to the continuous boycott over its ties to Israel, Anadolu Agency has reported.
KFC has scaled back its operations throughout Malaysia, particularly in the Kelantan state, due to a boycott spurred by opposition to US backing of Tel Aviv after Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7 of the previous year.
“QSR Brands, the proprietor and manager of KFC’s fast-food chain in Malaysia, has halted 108 of its stores countrywide,” reported The Straits Times on Monday, referencing a report from a local Chinese-language newspaper.
Recently, there has been a noticeable decline in patronage at KFC outlets, compelling the American fast-food giant to cease operations in the predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian country, where it operates more than 600 locations.
“KFC is not listed among the companies targeted by BDS. However, a significant number of Malaysians associate any American fast-food brand with Israel, including KFC,” stated Professor Mohd Nazari Ismail, the head of the pro-Palestinian organization Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Malaysia, in an interview with the Singapore-based publication.
BDS represents the international movement advocating for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel due to its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories.
The report suggested that KFC is viewing the boycott as a chance to discontinue certain operations that have been a financial burden.
This month, KFC had to close its inaugural Algerian outlet merely two days post-launch, in response to demonstrations against US support for Israel.
Israel has been bombing the Gaza Strip ever since Hamas launched a cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, that claimed almost 1,200 lives.
In addition to killing over 34,400 Palestinians since then, the Israeli operation has left the majority of the 2.3 million-person enclave in ruins and put them at risk of starvation.