KUALA LUMPUR — KFC Malaysia is considering legal action against food blogger channel Malaysia Food and Travel over a controversial video featuring the fast-food chain’s branding, which it says was produced without its knowledge or approval.
A KFC Malaysia spokesperson told Scoop that the company had no involvement in producing or approving the video, which was allegedly filmed at one of its outlets.
“KFC Malaysia has never intended to produce or publish anything that could hurt the sentiments of Malaysians, and we strongly distance ourselves from this content.
“We take the unauthorised use of our brand seriously and are assessing the appropriate legal action against those responsible for producing and publishing the video,” the spokesperson said when contacted.
The video, posted by Malaysia Food and Travel on Oct 19 before being removed, allegedly depicted Malaysians through racial and cultural stereotypes.
It featured a Malay character reciting a prayer before eating KFC, a Chinese character eating with a fork and spoon, and an Indian character eating with his hands while shaking his head.
The video subsequently drew criticism on social media, with users questioning the use of racial stereotypes and cultural references in content featuring the KFC brand.
It resurfaced over the past few days after some users screen-recorded and reposted the video following its removal from the channel’s social media platforms.
KFC Malaysia said the video was created by a third party and was not part of its advertising or brand communications.
The controversy comes after Malaysian Advertisers Association president Claudian Navin Stanislaus criticised the content, telling Scoop that outdated racial stereotypes had no place in modern Malaysian advertising.
Claudian also questioned how such content could have passed an approval process and called for stronger cultural-sensitivity checks by brands and advertising agencies.
He said advertisers needed a better understanding of Malaysia’s multicultural sensitivities, particularly when campaigns involved race, religion or cultural identity.
MIC Youth chief Arvind Krishnan and Pusat KOMAS also called for greater responsibility in the use of racial and cultural references following the backlash.
Arvind urged advertisers and businesses to be more sensitive to Malaysia’s multicultural society, while Pusat KOMAS warned against using racial stereotypes and cultural symbols as marketing tools.
Pusat KOMAS cited its Malaysia Racism Report 2025, which documented three incidents involving stereotypes and cultural symbols associated with the Malaysian Indian community in marketing material.
KFC Malaysia said it remained committed to respecting Malaysia’s diverse communities and ensuring its brand was not associated with unauthorised content that could cause offence. — September 25, 2026