How a Malaysian coffee shop menu became latest political battleground

Calls to boycott a Malaysian Chinese-owned coffee-shop chain over its omission of Malay text from its menu have reignited arguments over race and national identity, as political parties jostle to court the country’s majority ethnic group ahead of the next general election.
The Oriental Kopi boycott marks the latest saga fuelling ethnic grievances that politicians have been seen to capitalise on by portraying themselves as defenders of Malay identity.
It comes ahead of the November 14 election in Melaka, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s multiracial alliance Pakatan Harapan (PH) will face off federal partner Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
The Umno-led coalition won sweeping victories in Johor and Negeri Sembilan earlier this year, contesting alone in the former and cooperating with the Islamist party, Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), and its allies in the latter. BN has agreed in principle to cooperate again with PAS for the Melaka state poll.
The national election is due by February 2028, although Anwar said last month that calls for an earlier vote would be considered.

Oriental Kopi, a Malaysian chain known for egg tarts, coffee and local dishes served in the tradition of Chinese coffee shops known as kopitiam, came under criticism after photographs of its English and Chinese menu circulated on social media last week.
The company listed on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market on January 23 last year, as it pursued expansion at home and overseas, having opened its first Singapore cafe through a joint venture.
One online user questioned why a business celebrating its Malaysian identity had omitted the national language while others called for a boycott until it was included. “This is Malaysia, not China,” one wrote.
The cafe’s defenders responded with their own taunts. “All [Malays], please boycott Oriental Kopi so next time I don’t have to queue,” one said. Some questioned why comparable menus elsewhere had escaped scrutiny.
Founder Calvin Chan apologised on Wednesday and said a redesigned menu including Malay was already being prepared.
“As a brand born in Malaysia, we have always respected Malay as our country’s national language. We apologise for this shortcoming,” he wrote in Malay on Threads. “We are already in the process of introducing a new menu design that also includes Malay. We humbly ask for a little time to make these improvements.”
Chan said the chain welcomed customers from all communities. “Oriental Kopi is for all Malaysians, regardless of race and background.”
Wooing the majority
Malays account for 58.4 per cent of Malaysia’s estimated population of 34.4 million, with ethnic Chinese making up 22 per cent and Indians 6.5 per cent, according to official figures. Other indigenous communities make up most of the remainder.
Anwar has previously said supporting Malays should not come at the expense of other communities. Late last month, he pledged to advance Malay interests while rejecting views that belittled others or denied their rights.
“I want to help the Malays because they are my people. I’m proud of their culture, their heritage,” he said, as quoted by local media.
Politicians usually stood to gain from prolonging such disputes rather than settling them, said Syaza Farhana Mohamad Shukri, an associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia.
It is easiest to continue with racial rhetoric to hold on to the Malay political imagination
Syaza Farhana Mohamad Shukri, a political science professor
“In the absence of clear policy debates and having politics be about mature debates, it is easiest to continue with racial rhetoric to hold on to the Malay political imagination,” she said. “At the end of the day, the Malays would say they expect [the] government and politicians to defend their identity, so it is a political issue.”
But Anwar should resist chasing voters firmly opposed to him or his coalition, she added. Instead, he should address the complaint with a practical solution that could appeal to undecided voters.
“Anwar should focus on the middle ground voters, those who are still rational and not partisan,” she added.

Political scientist Wong Chin Huat said the controversy reflected “ethnic protectionism”, describing it as a continuation or revival of the Buy Muslim First campaign of 2019. “When halalness cannot be questioned, language becomes a convenient tool to ignite what is part of a larger culture war,” he said.
Competition among Malay parties encouraged nationalists to use cultural disputes to stir insecurity and rally voters behind calls for Malay unity, the Sunway University professor said.
But he questioned whether this particular boycott would deliver much electoral benefit. “Oriental’s Malay clientele is likely bilingual or Anglophone,” he said, suggesting that ethnic and religious appeals might already have reached their limit beyond the urban middle class.