In a rapidly evolving social media storm, delivery service provider Grab has come under fire as calls for a boycott gain momentum.
The controversy erupted after a screenshot of an Instagram story, allegedly posted by Chloe Tong, the wife of Grab co-founder Anthony Tan, began circulating on various platforms.
The controversial Instagram story
Chloe Tong, who is the daughter of the Malaysian former banker and owner of The Edge Media Group, Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong, triggered the outrage by sharing her experiences during a trip to Israel in the now-viral Instagram story.
The screenshot swiftly set off a wave of criticism on social media, with some users alleging that Grab supported Israel and advocating for a boycott of the company.
Notably, the original Twitter post that initiated the boycott call has since been deleted.
Grab’s response
In response to the growing controversy, Grab released a statement today, in which they shared the screenshot and addressed the issue.
Chloe Tong’s response to the viral screenshot
While the statement did not explicitly mention Chloe Tong, it appeared to reference her comments, explaining that the Instagram Stories were “taken out of context” and that they were from a time when she didn’t fully understand the complexities of the situation in Israel and Gaza.
“Screenshots of my previous Instagram Stories from weeks ago are suddenly resurfacing – and maliciously taken out of context and shared to stir more hatred.
My instastories were done before I understood all that is happening with Israel and Gaza. Like the rest of humanity, I hope for ceasefire and peace. I am simply saddened and feel very helpless for all the innocent lives lost.”
The statement also emphasised that Grab stood on the side of humanity and expressed hope for a ceasefire and peace.
They declared their stance against violence and highlighted their alignment with the principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), emphasising their commitment to the protection of human rights.
“We do not support any form of violence and as a participant of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), we are aligned with its principles, and respect the protection of human rights.”
Comment section restrictions
In response to the controversy, Grab has taken measures to limit the comment section on their social media posts.
On Instagram, comments were disabled for their statement post, while on Facebook, the comment feature was limited.
Similarly, on Twitter, only those mentioned in the post can reply. However, it’s worth noting that on Twitter, accounts cannot disable Quote Tweets.
Despite the restrictions, Grab’s statement has attracted over 2000 Quote Tweets, many of which continue to express support for the boycott and call for users to uninstall the Grab application.
The social media firestorm shows no signs of abating, as the controversy surrounding Chloe Tong’s Instagram story and Grab’s response to it continues to dominate online discourse.
