KUALA LUMPUR: FamilyMart Co Ltd's largest shareholder Itochu Corporation will be ending its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence company.
This comes after calls for boycott against the popular convenience store chain following last year's news reports of its subsidiary Itochu Aviation that signed an MoU with Nippon Aircraft Supply and Elbit Systems to import defence technologies into Japan for the purpose of Japan's national security.
In a statement, FamilyMart Malaysia said it was aware of the calls of boycott against the company and said it was informed by its parent company, FamilyMart Co Ltd Japan that Itochu Aviation is terminating the MoU, as per news reports in Japan.
"The decision is made in support of the Japanese government's support of the recent International Court of Justice order, which includes preventing acts of genocide in the Gaza strip.
"FamilyMart Malaysia reiterates our stand that we do not support violence or killing and that we do not contribute to or donate or deal with Israel," it said.
On Jan 26, it was reported that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and to do more to help civilians.
The world court however stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by the plaintiff, South Africa.
South Africa had earlier launched an application with the ICJ to investigate alleged acts of genocide committed by Israel in Gaza.
The country, which has been a supporter of the Palestinian cause for decades, in the application also pushed for a declaration on an urgent basis that Israel is in breach of its obligations in terms of the 1948 Genocide Convention.
It also requested the court to ask Israel to immediately cease all acts and measures in breach of the obligations.