PUTRAJAYA: Cabinet today unanimously agreed that the call to boycott non-Muslim products was extremely unreasonable, and urged the people to throw their support behind Malaysian products.
The Prime Minister's Department said Cabinet ministers had rejected such a move and described it as narrow minded and founded on racial sentiments stirred by certain quarters.
"It can harm the country's harmony and well-being. Instead, the people should support Malaysian made products, which will benefit the nation," it said in a statement issued after the cabinet meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The boycott call was allegedly made by Muslim non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that were reported to have encouraged consumers to prioritise goods produced by Muslim and Bumiputera companies.
NGO Ummah was reported to be upset by the actions of some politicians who had linked its campaign to promote Muslim food products to racism as well as religious and political issues.
Ummah chairperson Aminuddin Yahaya told a news portal recently the campaign which it spearheaded had never urged the Malays to boycott non-Muslim products.
Rather the campaign was to promote the businesses of Muslims who don't have the capital power to market their products and place them in big stores, he said.