Asus Malaysia takes stand against Israeli branch’s controversial post

Asus Malaysia has responded to a Malaysian artist who called the brand out for standing by its support of Israel forces and soldiers.

In the X post, the artist, who goes by the handle @AzyanDraws, took a screengrab of an Instagram post made by Asus Israel. The post was of an Israel flag and in the caption, it said that it stands by the security forces and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. It added that it "holds their hands" in these difficult days.

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In the post, the user demanded that the post be taken down by the brand. She added that she knew this was "career suicide" as she was in one of Asus' creative programs and worked with them on a series of campaigns. 

Asus Malaysia then contacted the artist saying that they agree that Asus Israel's post should be taken down and they are working hard on contacting their headquarters to pressure them to take it down. 

"I commend them for understanding why I was vocal about it and even mentioned there’s no need to delete my posts," the artist wrote. "They also expressed their devastation and concern about the atrocities happening in Gaza."

In the screenshots, ASUS Malaysia reportedly noted that it only manages content on the Malaysia branch.

A+M has reached out to the artist and ASUS Malaysia for comment.

As the Gaza-Israel crisis continues, brands are facing increasing scrutiny for any perceived support for Israel. In October 2023, McDonald’s Malaysia similarly took a stand against its Israeli counterpart’s “individual” actions. In a statement posted on Instagram, McDonald’s Malaysia announced that it had made a RM1 million contribution to the Palestine Humanitarian Fund, launched by the Prime Minister's department.

This followed news that McDonald’s Israel had donated free meals to Israeli soldiers, according to a statement by the fast-food company. The move caused many netizens to question if the company was contributing to the destruction caused to those in Gaza.

McDonald’s Malaysia added that the actions of the Israel branch did not reflect its own values or practices.

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