False! Viral post on Chinese traders boycotting Malay farmers

A social media posting which claimed Chinese wholesalers were boycotting produce by Malay farmers in relation to the "buy Muslim-made products first" campaign is untrue, a businessperson said.

According to the founder of agrotechnology company Agro Solution, Mohamad Azhar Mohd Noor, he was the one who had originally taken the image of the alleged victim, a farmer, which was featured in the viral posting making its rounds on Facebook.

He said he was surprised when he came across the posting which featured several images of the Malay farmer said to be from Pendang, Kedah.

The farmer was seen with stacked piles of cucumbers allegedly unsold as a result of a purported Chinese boycott.

Azlan told Malaysiakini that he had snapped one the photos shown in the viral post last month and that his company was the sole purchaser of cucumbers from the farmer in question.

He further explained the picture was taken in Kuala Krai in Kelantan and not in Pendang, Kedah as alleged in the post.

“I was surprised. The picture is over a month old. I took that picture and shared in it a WhatsApp group with farmers but now it has become an issue.

“The man in the picture is my friend. He grows the cucumbers. We (Agro Solutions) buy them from him so what was said about Chinese wholesalers (boycotting Malay farmers) is not true,” he said when contacted.

The viral post further claimed the farmer was forced to sell off the cucumbers for only RM1 per kilo and had included a mobile number.

Malaysiakini attempted to contact the number but the calls went unanswered.

The viral post was even shared by Special Officer at the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Ali Muda.

“I don’t wish to insult or make fun of the 'Buy Muslim Products' campaign, but I wish to show the effects of it to the country,” Ali said in a Facebook post.

Ali Muda was the individual previously accused by Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin of insulting the campaign.

Asri had accused Ali of “planting” a story that a Malay chilli farmer was in dire straights as a result of the "buy Muslim-made products first" campaign as Chinese businesses had allegedly refused to buy from the farmer.

The mufti expressed surprise that there were fellow Muslims who would insult efforts to better the economy of Muslims.

Ali Muda reportedly responded by saying his words had been misconstrued and he had actually asked supporters, and even Asri, to support the chilli farmer whose business was affected after the campaign.

It was reported that the "buy Muslim-made products first" campaign urging Muslims to prioritise the purchase of Muslim-made products began gaining traction December last year.

However, following racial tensions resulting from the government’s plan to introduce Jawi lessons in vernacular schools, certain quarters began calling for an all-out boycott of non-Muslim products.