KUALA LUMPUR – Efforts to boycott Israel-related products in Malaysia may have little or no effect on international chocolate brands in the country, according to Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (Titiwangsa-BN).
He said that there is currently no data showing a “void” affecting international chocolate brands amid the ongoing boycott efforts related to the Palestine-Israel conflict, as reported by the Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB).
“The conflict has led to a movement to boycott products suspected of contributing to Israel’s economy in many countries, including Malaysia.
“However, for international chocolate product companies in Malaysia, the MCB found no data indicating any negative effects on these firms,” he said in a parliamentary written reply.
Johari said this in response to a question by Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (Dungun-PN), who inquired about plans to empower local cocoa entrepreneurs to “fill the void” left by international chocolate product companies as a result of the effective boycott against Israeli products.
He also mentioned that his ministry constantly endeavours to empower local cocoa entrepreneurs through promotional programmes at consumer fairs, trade exhibitions, and participation in international trade expos.
Other initiatives include digital cocoa marketing programmes on local e-commerce platforms and business matching programmes in the domestic market, particularly in the retail sector and the Horeca (hotel, restaurant, and cafe) industry.
Additionally, the ministry collaborates with tourism agencies to intensify chocolate brand promotion and partners with the Education Ministry to offer basic chocolate-making courses that educate on the benefits of local chocolate.
The widespread boycott in Malaysia was triggered by the Palestine-Israel war, which began on October 7 after Hamas launched several cross-border attacks.
As of March 13, the Gazan Health Ministry reported that the death toll in Palestine due to Israel’s continuous attacks has risen to 31,272, while 73,024 injuries were recorded. – March 14, 2024