November 04, 2023, 12:31 PM
Grab Malaysia has issued a statement saying that it "stands on the side of humanity".
The statement was posted on Grab Malaysia's Facebook page on Nov. 3, 2023.
This comes after a personal post by an individual believed to be Chloe Tong — Grab CEO Anthony Tan's wife — went viral.Post "taken out of context"
Grab Malaysia said that the post was posted "weeks ago and taken out of context".
The post also had a screenshot of the individual's explanation saying that the Instagram Stories were done before she "understood all that is happening with Israel and Gaza."
"I am simply saddened and feel very helpless for all the innocent lives lost," the post said.
Stands on the side of humanity
Grab Malaysia added: "We want to be clear that Grab stands on the side of humanity and hopes for peace and a ceasefire."
"We do not support any form of violence and as a part of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), we are aligned with its principles, and respect the protection of human rights."
The UNGC is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, where members have to align their business strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals.
Grab Malaysia's statement comes after a Malaysian X user called for the boycott of Grab's services in Malaysia, following Tong's posts about her previous trip to Israel.
The post accused her of being "pro-Israel" and told others that they can "uninstall the Grab app".
Posted on Nov. 3, the post has garnered over 25,000 reposts.
Similar calls for boycott
In October 2023, social media was filled with calls to boycott McDonald's in the region.
This is after McDonald's in Israel announced on its social media accounts that it was offering free meals to "all those who are involved in the defence of the state, hospitals, and surrounding areas", including members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
However, McDonald's Malaysia clarified that it does not engage in religious or political conflict, and the decision of the McDonald's franchisee in Israel does not represent a global policy shared by McDonald's in all countries.
McDonald's Malaysia also announced that it contributed to the Palestine Humanitarian Fund under the Malaysian Prime Minister's Department.
Top image via Grab
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