myBurgerLab Chief Operating Officer (COO), Andrew Chong, has been terminated from his position at the popular Malaysian burger chain.
This was due to his comments about Muslim men in Terengganu being subjected to legal action under Syariah law for skipping Friday prayers, which had gone viral online.
Where this all started
Chong had left a comment on social media in regards to the subject, stating that Malaysia will “become like Iran” if the country “is taken over by extremism”, on an X post reporting about how Muslim men in Terengganu may face fines of up to RM3,000 or 2 years in jail should they skip Friday prayers without a valid reason.
His comment read, “Wow, slowly but surely, if Malaysia is taken over by extremism, we will become like Iran after the revolution, such as what we see today, and that should scare everyone.”
This led to immense backlash from the general public, with many believing that he was sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.
“‘Muslim men in Terengganu’, so what does it have to do with him? He doesn’t stay in Terengganu, and he isn’t a Muslim man. Syariah law is only applicable to Muslims. Seriously, I don’t understand what he’s so scared of. Bigotry is all I can conclude from this,” one Threads user said.
Many also called for a boycott of myBurgerLab over his comment.
While Chong has since deleted the comment, many have taken screenshots of it and posted them online.
An apology was issued, and he was terminated from his position
Chong took to his X profile to apologise for his comment and to inform the public that he had deleted it.
He wrote, “I am deeply sorry for the words I shared and the hurt they have caused, especially to the Muslim community. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility. My values are rooted in respect and inclusivity, but I fell short here. I would be grateful for the chance to hear from those willing to share, so I can understand more deeply and help rebuild trust.”
“I’ve deleted the post, not to run from my mistake, but because I don’t want to cause anyone more hurt or anger.”
However, the damage seemed to have been done as myBurgerLab also issued a statement announcing that it had terminated Chong from his position in the company.
“We are deeply saddened by a personal social media post from our former COO, Andrew Chong, which has caused rightful anger, disappointment and pain, especially among our Muslim friends, by disrespecting Islamic values. This was not an official myBurgerLab statement and does not reflect our core principles of respect, unity and inclusivity for all Malaysians,”
“Andrew’s post contradicted our values, and we take responsibility for this oversight. We condemn any discrimination or disrespect toward religion and stand in solidarity with our Muslim community. To those affected, we offer our sincerest apologies,” they shared.
On top of terminating Chong, myBurgerLab are also reviewing its internal policies and implementing mandatory cultural sensitivity training with parties like the Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (JAKIM), with annual refreshers.
WORLD OF BUZZ has since reached out to Chong for comment, but has yet to hear back.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
