KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The Prosperity Burger, a regular fixture on McDonald’s Malaysia’s Chinese New Year menu, will not include the popular curly fries on the side this year due to labour strikes by American dockworkers.

British paper The Independent reported today that Malaysia is among several Asian countries affected by the strikes, which have cut chip supply in the region.

MCDonald’s Malaysia announced last week that curly fries would not be part of this year’s Prosperity Burger meal, while McDonald’s Japan has had to reduce the portion of the fries despite having airlifted 1,000 tonnes in an emergency shipment.

The crispy, twisting and thicker-than-normal fries have been an integral part of the Prosperity Burger meal, which also includes a pineapple pie.

The shortage has also sent rival fast food chains in crisis mode, with KFC Japan scrambling to replace its fries with coleslaw in its online advertisements.

Supply of normal fries, however, remains steady in Malaysia as fast food operators expand their supplier base as a precaution.

KFC Malaysia senior vice-president Ling Mee Jiuan was quoted by The Rakyat Post as saying that the labour dispute in the US had affected the Asian supply chain of imported potatoes, but Malaysia has so far been spared from the shortage.

“Though not affected yet, KFC Malaysia will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action, if any, as the situation progresses.”