Boycotts, bans and dough-kissing drama: Malaysia’s social media obsessions in 2024

From brand boycotts in support of Palestine and mysterious doughnut-licking employees to the nefarious goings-on at a milk tea chain and a sinkhole horror in Kuala Lumpur – scandal, anger and tragedy marked Malaysia’s social media landscape this year. In a nation glued to its phones – Malaysians spend nearly three hours daily online on average, an hour more than users in Hong Kong – platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and X are shaping public sentiment like never before and proving to be a bane for both big name brands and politicians. But the internet has also created more space for bad actors seeking to whip up division and spread scurrilous rumours online, causing real damage to the country’s social fabric – something Malaysian authorities are determined to get a grip on in 2025. Here are the high and lows that defined Malaysian social media this year. Boycott bites McDonald’s, KFC and Starbucks franchises in Malaysia faced a painful consumer backlash this year due to the war in Gaza, with Malaysia’s majority Muslim population linking the US-based chains with support for Israel’s attacks on the enclave. The power of the internet to cancel was felt sharpest by Starbucks, once a status symbol among Malaysia’s aspirational middle class, which was forced to close 50 outlets after four consecutive quarters of losses as customers snubbed the chain. KFC and McDonald’s did not escape the ire either, forcing the Malaysian franchise owners to insist that, while the brands are American, their restaurants are locally owned, staffed and operated. Most KFCs in Malaysia now display banners outside their premises emphasising their local roots. Storm in a teacup? In October, it was Chinese tea chain Chagee’s turn to face the fire of social media after a viral TikTok video allegedly showed staff tampering with a lucky draw, sparking accusations of rigging. Chagee offered luxury handbags from Louis Vuitton and Gucci, and Apple mobile phones, laptops and tablets through “Tear & Win” coupons hidden inside the company cups. But a video appeared to show a staff member going through the pre-filled cups and separating those with the most lucrative prizes. The company was forced to apologise in an attempt to smother an inferno of criticism online as social media users flexed their muscles, warning that where Starbucks had gone, any other brand could follow. The curious case of Alice Chang For a country that is serious about food, the antics of Malaysian woman Alice Chang take the cake. Chang caused a stir when she uploaded photos of herself kissing a piece of uncooked dough at a popular Auntie Anne’s soft pretzel kiosk that she was working at. The company had to close the shop to conduct a deep scrub after the public questioned their hygiene. As she moved on to work other eateries, alarmed netizens followed her digital trail, prompting repeated closures and scrub-downs. Several restaurants unwittingly hired her before online sleuths raised the alarm, reminding the food industry that a single person’s online antics could knead the nation’s culinary nerves into knots. New app in town Chinese app, Xiaohongshu – or “Little Red Book” – has quietly gripped Malaysia, changing how young, Mandarin-speaking Malaysians connect to their culture and the broader world. Rooted in e-commerce, the community review app has also seen Chinese tourists head to unexpected destinations on paths less travelled by the famed package tour groups – including transforming an unremarkable bank branch in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, into an Instagram hotspot. Sinkhole tragedy In August, the nation was gripped by the ultimately forlorn search for an Indian woman who disappeared after falling into a sinkhole that opened up in the Kuala Lumpur neighbourhood of Masjid India. Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, a 48-year-old on holiday, fell into an 8-meter-deep sinkhole that opened up under the pavement of the busy shopping district. Caught on a nearby CCTV camera, the shocking incident led to the closure of the area as rescuers frantically searched for her inside the sewer lines underneath the city fruitlessly before ending the pursuit after a week. Public fear surged over the integrity of Malaysia’s high-rise capital, home to three of the world’s tallest buildings, after netizens unearthed a geological report suggesting that much of the city lies on soft limestone foundations. Digitally driven division The persuasive power of social media also fanned racial tension, particularly between the country’s Muslim majority and its sizeable ethnic Chinese minority. Between March and April, three outlets of KK Super Mart supermarket were attacked with petrol bombs after one of its outlets was found selling socks featuring the word “Allah” printed on them, set off waves of online outrage among the Muslim community. TikTok also amplified anti-Chinese sentiment in October after a display featuring China’s flag at a cultural event in the small town of Teluk Intan prompted a nationalist counter rally. From China’s flag, to debates over the government’s failed US$10 million investment in local fashion website Fashion Valet and the ensuing criminal charges against its celebrity owners, public pressure for accountability often drifted into cancel culture and division this year, sparking calls for stronger regulations on social media content from a variety of sectors. Power of X The social media platform formerly known as Twitter continues to play a lead role in shaping Malaysia’s public discourse. Pushback on X successfully pressured the government to scrap a sudden plan for a national digital ID system linked to a road traffic app. Earlier in the year, netizens derailed a controversial proposal to ban alternative DNS servers, which act as the Internet’s phone book, and divert traffic through government-controlled servers. On New Year’s Day, the government hopes to wrestle back some control over the internet with a licensing scheme for social media companies operating in Malaysia meant to compel them into abiding by the country’s morality codes as well as curb rampant scams and pornography. As Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government drives forward its agenda, it seems likely that X will become an increasingly crucial space for the public to communicate their frustrations with the country’s leaders. The key lesson of 2024 is that X “has become an important battleground for pushing back against problematic government policies,” Benjamin Loh, a senior lecturer specialising in communications at Taylor’s University, told This Week in Asia.

Boycotts, bans and dough-kissing drama: Malaysia’s social media obsessions in 2024

The power of social media shaped many of Malaysia’s biggest controversies this year

Boycott bites