SO CHOOSY ONE Much has been said about the boycott movement by Malaysian consumers against companies that support Israel. Whatever the full merits of this movement, one can never know precisely but whatever the case, it is good because, AT THE VERY LEAST, it relates to the consumer fulfilling his/her conscience. The consumer movement is not new in Malaysia but it has not been widespread. The Penang Consumer Association has been active for many decades and they have added much value to the general public at large. I am hopeful that this present Israel boycott movement will lead to the greater development of awareness and self-education by the general public in regards to the goods and services that they buy. In the USA, consumer spending is the biggest driver for economic growth.The contribution of private consumption to the growth of our economy is already large and it can only grow larger. In line with this growth, we, Malaysians, need to be more “choosy” in our purchases. In developed countries, consumers make their purchase decisions based on many considerations, including:- Ethical practices; Environmental/Green practices; Human rights; Politics; Racism. This awareness is a very good thing because we need to know where our money is going to and we can use our money to reward/punish companies, for example, companies that have proven racist policies and practices. Of course, with this power, comes responsibility. We must learn to exercise our RM power wisely and not unduly punish companies by listening to unsubstantiated rumours and hearsay. All of these is part and parcel of our process of maturing into a First World society and this is a good thing.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 05:31:25 +0000
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