Guan Eng urges Umno, PAS to condemn non-bumi products boycott

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has urged Umno and PAS to condemn a boycott against non-bumiputera businesses.

This is after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged those responsible to cease their movement to boycott non-bumiputera products, as it would only cause anger. 

"If PAS and Umno are not against both non-Muslims and non-Malays, both parties should adopt a similar stand condemning such boycotts of non-bumi products," the finance minister said in a statement today.

A movement which began on social media is urging the bumiputera to boycott products produced by non-bumiputera.

In one social media post, bumiputera consumers were asked to boycott on one day a week, a supermarket chain which did not promote bumiputera products and which did not reduce the price of the non-bumiputera produced products.

A number of NGOs also called for a boycott of halal products made by non-Muslims.

Lim said those "racists and religious extremists" should take heed of Mahathir's advice to cease the boycott.

"This boycott of non-bumi products has reached disturbing levels until the prime minister is compelled to comment upon it.

"If this is the case, then by extension, foreign products, especially handphones, should also be boycotted," he said.

Lim added that such boycotts would be counter-productive, not just because it harms national unity, but could also cause consumers to "lose out by boycotting products which are superior in price and quality."

He also urged Malaysians to take heed of retired national shuttler Lee Chong Wei's message about not letting petty issues divide Malaysians.