In Malaysia, over 100 fast food restaurants owned by Kentucky Fried Chicken ( KFC) have been “temporarily closed” as a result of a months-long economic boycott linked to the conflict in Gaza.
According to Nanyang Siau, 108 National outlets have stopped operating, according to the Chinese regular Nanyang Siau. Kelantan position was the worst- hit, with almost 80 per cent of their businesses, or up to 21 shops, affected.  ,
According to the statement, based on information from Google Maps, 15 shops in Johor were also briefly shut, as well as 11 businesses each in Selangor and Kedah, 10 shops in Terengganu, 10 shops in Pahang, 9 stores in Perak, 6 stores in Negeri Sembilan, 2 stores in Perlis, 2 stores in Malacca, 5 stores in Penang, 3 stores in Kuala Lumpur, two in Sarawak and one in Sabah.  ,
QSR Brands– which owns and operates KFC across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Cambodia ,- said that in response to tough financial conditions, it had taken strategic measures to briefly shut outlets as means to manage increasing business costs and focus on large engagement trade zones.
As part of the company’s re-optimisation efforts, employees from affected outlets were given the opportunity to relocate to busier operating locations, according to a statement released on April 29.  ,
” As a company that has been serving Malaysians for over 50 years, the focus remains on providing quality products and services to customers, while contributing positively to the Malaysian economy through job security for 18, 000 team members in Malaysia, of which, approximately 85 per cent are Muslims”, they said.
However, neither the number of outlets nor the affected workers were disclosed.  ,
According to the QSR website, there are over 600 KFC outlets in Malaysia, with the first outlet opening in Kuala Lumpur back in 1973.  ,
Checks by CNA on three outlets within a 5km radius in Shah Alam, Selangor, found two outlets with” closed” signs while the other outlet was open but empty.
Yeah Kim Leng, an economics professor at Sunway University, claimed that the country was now experiencing more negative effects as a result of the boycotts, which started in October, and that they had had an impact on both the supply chains of these restaurants.  ,
Consumers have a right to boycott products, he said, but we need to be aware that these boycotts have a greater impact on the economy than the intended goal.  ,