KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — The Cabinet has called upon Malaysians to support the campaign to buy Malaysian products instead of the boycott on purchasing goods manufactured by non-Muslims.

In today’s meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the cabinet unanimously agreed that the boycott is ‘very unreasonable’.

"The Cabinet rejects this narrow-minded stance based on racial sentiments which are being used by certain parties, as it can disrupt the national harmony and prosperity,” said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement.

"Instead, the rakyat is called upon to support the campaign of buying Malaysian goods, as it will bring benefit to the nation,” it added.

The boycott originally began as a campaign by Muslim NGOs to encourage consumers to prioritise goods produced by Muslim and Bumiputera companies. However, the Muslim Consumers Association and the Malaysian Chambers of Entrepreneurs Business Development had also called for a ban on non-Muslim products that use Jawi script.

Late last month, both NGOs told the Islamic Development Department that halal certificates should be issued in the native language of the products’ manufacturers, so that consumers can easily identify if they are produced by Muslims or non-Muslims.