Kaji dahulu sebelum boikot, kata ahli ekonomi

Rakyat Malaysia should conduct thorough research before participating in any boycott campaigns, rather than acting impulsively based on news headlines or baseless allegations, according to an economist. Referencing the McDonald's boycott campaign and controversies surrounding BlackRock's involvement with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), economist Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff stated that Malaysians need to verify facts and consider the broader consequences before deciding to support a boycott.

"BlackRock is an investor in the Bursa Malaysia, meaning it holds shares in numerous companies, including the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF)," he said at the 2026 Malaysian Muslim Community Forum. "So, are you going to accuse everyone? You need to research. Unfortunately, we don't investigate enough. We only look at the news headline and take it as absolute truth."

He made these comments in response to questions about boycotting products related to Israel. Earlier, Malaysians had acted to boycott companies based on allegations of their connection to the United States (US) and Israel following the ongoing military operations in Tel Aviv targeting Gaza. Razman, from Putra Business School, stated that no company operating in Malaysia is directly involved in reported injustice worldwide.

He added that the issue remains sensitive due to concerns about the impact of boycotts on local workers. Razman emphasized that efforts are needed to combat injustice, but he acknowledged that boycott campaigns tend to lose momentum after a few months. The MBG Fruits Public Relations Manager, Adnan Lee, urged Malaysians to consider the widespread impact of boycotts while acknowledging that workers in the relevant companies also depend on their jobs to support their families.

"Workers also need to feed their families. We cannot continue to be trapped in specific issues just because there is a trend to boycott."