YOURSAY | You can't be selective about who or what to boycott

YOURSAY | ‘It smacks of double-talk and hypocrisy.’

PM: Sounds good, but not realistic to cancel all Israel-related deals

Apanama is back: Your words have come back to bite you, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The key word here is “realistic”.

People like you live in some other world but return to the real world when it suits you. What kind of split personality is this?

Anything involving funds/money is called Israel-linked, and when it comes to supremacy, it becomes Israel-based.

What is the difference between Israel-linked and Israel-based? Is Israel linked to the first class while Israel-based in the second class, like minorities in Malaysia?

Israel is Israel. Can you stop this ridiculous spin and answer properly? Of course, you mentioned the rationale behind why you chose Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).

According to Khazanah Nasional Bhd, 145 companies initially applied to participate in the consortium to take over Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB), but only five were deemed suitable.

The criteria set were stringent, including that the chairperson and CEO of MAHB, as well as the majority shareholders, must be Malaysian. Other companies wanted management rights, including the roles of chairperson and CEO.

These terms were not accepted (by Khazanah and EPF), which is why GIP was chosen. Anwar, as you have said, be transparent.

There is no need to justify something by saying it is Israel-based and Israel-linked.

Thor: Whatever happened to principles? It looks like a half-hearted support of the Palestinians against the alleged genocide by Israel.

The government appears not to be walking the talk. Starbucks and McDonald's are being boycotted because they are complicit in their support of Israel.

However, others like Blackrock, Apple, and Google are not.

It smacks of double-talk and hypocrisy. As a matter of principle, you either boycott anyone who supports Israel or you don't.

Please stop sitting on the fence. Otherwise, it appears that Palestinians are being treated as pawns.

Oct: No wonder Malaysia's competitive rating dropped as the way the government does its business is so wishy-washy.

The government’s decision is not firm. Religious sentiments seem to be overriding or ridiculing the government's decision.

There were instances when business boycotts happened because the company had supported Israel.

However, the real collateral damage is the Malaysians and franchises.

If these religious sentiments are the deciding factors, the government should sanction the US and the UK as these two countries are great supporters and arms suppliers to Israel.

The government should impose tariffs on all US and UK-made goods and services. This works better than boycotts.

Moreover, the tariffs could bring additional revenue for the government. All these differences aired in Parliament don't bring any closure but create uncertainty for investors.

It is already bad. It can only get worse with bigots challenging the government. All this support for Palestinians doesn't help Malaysia at all but creates negativity for Malaysia.

Commenting has been disabled for this story: This is the fundamental logical flaw of these selective boycotts.

Boycott only makes sense if it's all or nothing. Being selective about what to boycott defeats its purpose.

You can't boycott "a little bit". It's like saying you are vegetarian, but you eat meat a little bit.

Furthermore, it is illogical to differentiate between Israel-based companies and Israel-linked companies in a globalised world.

Israel-linked companies often have subsidiaries or branches in Israel.

Conversely, Israel-based companies also have interests and shares in Israel-linked companies.

The distinction is illogical and artificial.

What has happened is that Anwar has created a quagmire for himself. It's thoroughly absurd...a situation that is both amusing and tragic in its idiocy.

Vijay47: Principles are principles, Anwar, usually cast in stone by the man of honour. But yours seem highly malleable, dependent on the justification and convenience you wish to resort to.

However, it does not matter, after all, how could your naïve supporters ever figure out the difference?

Israel-linked or Israel-based, you ask? By holding, intermediate, or subsidiary company?

What would your excuse be if you were pushed further to the wall? That trade and transactions with Israel are kosher as long as the country, product, or service does not have six letters?

LimeMoose1462: Please get Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil to list the companies under both Israel-linked and Israel-based categories.

It will be easier for me and the public. I wonder which category McDonald’s is under. I'm eagerly waiting for the list.

Salvage Malaysia: I agree with the prime minister that we have to be more pragmatic. Intel has a big chip manufacturing facility in Israel.

Do we all throw away our Intel-powered computers now? Doesn’t make sense right? Our opposition failed to ask the right question.

Khazanah said they received more than 100 proposals from other companies keen to take over MAHB.

The question the opposition should have asked is why is it necessary to sell 30 percent of a profitable national asset to foreigners.

Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) and Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) etc have the capital. I will want to know what GIP as an effective 25 percent shareholder brings to the table.

V S: It does not sound good in financial markets. Some would already have reservations about investing in this country any more.

Notice that our stock market has also been sluggish after these proclamations by our politicians.

A boycott of their investments will throw us in the dumps, resulting in massive financial repercussions that these politicians will not be able to handle.

Please do not ruin what is left in our tattered economy. We are a small fry in the world economy with huge debts to settle.

It does not make a difference for these giants to just pull out and ignore us to fend for ourselves. Please make statements carefully. We will be watching from now on.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.