JOHOR BARU: The fast-food landscape in Johor has been hit hard, with 15 KFC outlets facing temporary suspensions due to ongoing economic challenges and boycotts.
QSR Brands (M) Holdings Bhd, the owner and operator of the KFC fast-food franchise, is majority-owned by Johor state investment arm Johor Corp.
The New Straits Times reported that QSR Brands temporarily ceased operations of 108 KFC outlets nationwide.
NST's efforts to contact Johor Corp Bhd (JCorp) president and chief executive officer Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim on the plans for affected staff were futile.
However, a manager of one of the affected outlets, who chose to remain anonymous, spoke to NST.
"Although the official reasons given to us were due to economic challenges, declining sales, and its strategic business decisions, yet we are aware of the persistent pro-Palestine boycott," he said.
The 36-year-old said there was a noticeable decline in sales at most KFC outlets in the state over the past few years, with only a few exceptions such as its outlets in Stulang Laut and Seri Gelam, which had maintained steadier customer traffic.
The Stulang Laut outlet, overlooking the Straits of Johor, and the Seri Gelam outlet near the Johor Darul Ta'zim's football team's indoor training grounds, are particularly popular among Singaporeans.
Persistent pro-Palestine boycotts have exacerbated the situation, impacting the operations of KFC outlets across the country.
The affected outlet staff have been grappling with rumours of potential closures for months.
Initially, managers were instructed to reduce staff hours and operational times.
"We were asked to shrink hours given to our staff and shorten our outlet's operating hours.
"When that did not work, we had to let go of our part-time staff and senior citizens who were employed as floor staff.
"Most of us are worried, thinking about our livelihood," he said.
"When these measures failed to alleviate the situation, ceasing operations would be the next course of action.
"Although staff were offered options to transfer to other locations, many declined due to the high cost of living in other districts especially in the state capital, as accommodation is too expensive and unaffordable for us, who make below RM2,000 a month.
The manager highlighted past instances of similar protests, such as the 2017 Muslim Brotherhood boycott in Turkey, which affected KFC Batu Pahat outlet.
He mentioned instances of staff harassment and verbal abuse, including being spat on.
Efforts to obtain a response from QSR Brand regarding their staff's predicament were unsuccessful at press time.
QSR Brand also operates KFC outlets in Singapore, Brunei, and Cambodia.
Meanwhile, Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) former Strategic Communications head Nasser Ismail shared his personal views on the temporary closure of KFC outlets.
He stated that the substantial boycott movement against KFC in Malaysia gained momentum due to the perceived links to the ongoing conflict in Gaza about seven months ago.
"KFC Malaysia's response to the temporary closure of over 100 outlets completely missed the core issue motivating the boycotters."