Ikim to organise roundtable to address boycott issue

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) will organise a round table discussion to find the best solution to the boycott issue.

Its director-general, Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil, said Ikim would also conduct a study related to the issue.

"Ikim feels that this boycott issue should be studied in depth,” he said in a statement here on Tuesday (May 7).

On May 4, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar reportedly instructed Ikim to study all views and opinions regarding the boycott trend among Muslims in the country.

Mohamed Azam said Ikim believed that the boycott issue should be studied in detail based on the balance of justice and aspects of maslahah (useful, good) and mafsadah (damage) and whether the action is fair and true, brings good or invites more harm.

He said there are still questions that need to be seen in a wider context, such as its impact on the country's economic progress as a whole and its potential to affect Malaysia's position as a trading country and investment destination.

In addition, he said the largest shareholders of some of the boycotted businesses are also owned by Muslims, raising concerns that an emotional boycott without careful planning would destroy the Muslim economy itself.

"This action also affects the employment sector, especially the local workforce. Workers who work with boycotted business entities will also be impacted, probably in terms of salary cuts or job loss,” he added. – Bernama