My boycott call will benefit all races, says Ismail Sabri

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob urged those angry with his call for a boycott of Chinese businesses to look at it positively, saying that a boycott leading to lower prices of goods would benefit all races.

Speaking during a live interview programme tonight, Ismail said if Malaysians were to use their collective power as consumers to boycott “stubborn” businesses, the prices of goods would drop.

“The effect is that everyone will benefit, whether they are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans,” he said on TV1's "Dialog" programme.

Ismail also did not apologise for his Facebook post which has ignited a storm of protest.

Instead, the agriculture and agro-based industries minister said people should look at the "bigger picture", beyond the mention of race in his post.

“I hope that people do not just focus on one aspect... as if I was criticising one community. Look at the bigger picture,” he said.

He added that that if consumers could put a boycott against profiteers into effect, the price of goods would come down.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Department earlier this evening defended Ismail, saying the minister had not targeted any specific race with his social media post.

Instead, it was "meant to rebuke traders who refuse to lower the price of goods" despite the drop in fuel prices," the statement had said.

The Bera MP courted controversy after he wrote in a Facebook post that Malay consumers had a role in helping Putrajaya fight profiteers by using their collective power to lower the price of goods.

‎"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority, if the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," he wrote on his Facebook page.

He also singled out the OldTown White Coffee chain owned by OldTown Bhd, saying DAP MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham owned shares in the company.

"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," said Ismail.

His comments drew flak from DAP, MCA and Gerakan leaders, who took the minister to task for singling out the Chinese as profiteers.

Ismail was questioned by the police today to aid in their investigation over his Facebook post.

Ninety-two Umno division chiefs had also gathered in Putrajaya today to show support for him, calling his boycott statement "noble".

In the television interview tonight, Ismail explained that although prices of goods were normally under the purview of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, he took a special interest in the issue.

This was because he once held the portfolio before his transfer to the agriculture ministry last year.

He said he was also concerned with how the opposition used inflation and price hikes to tarnish Barisan Nasional's image.

“When the prices of goods go up because of the price of oil, they call BN 'barang naik' (prices up). But then when oil prices go down, the price of goods do not follow.

“So I began to suspect, do these traders have an agenda? This is a tactic used by the opposition to tarnish us, so we have to tackle it.”

Ismail explained that his mention of restaurant chain OldTown White Coffee in his Facebook post was meant as an example of consumers not using their buying power, even though they were aware that some businesses had questionable practices.

“I just brought up the issue to explain that in their case (the restaurant) they’ve had problems with their halal certificates.

“When it comes to halal certificates, everyone makes noise. But people are still going to the restaurant. So it’s a case of people being aware but not following up that awareness with action,” he said.

OldTown Bhd chairman Datuk Dr Ahmed Tasir, however, had denied Ismail's claim that the food served in their chain of restaurants was not halal.

The hour-long interview devoted almost half of the time to Ismail’s policy of going after “irresponsible” middle-men in the agriculture supply chain.

He claimed that some wholesellers and transport companies were squeezing farmers, fishermen and consumers by buying low from producers and selling high to consumers.

Ismail said this year, he would ramp up efforts to sideline middle men in the supply chain by taking over most of their functions, such as in transporting goods and processing fresh produce. – February 4, 2015.