KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - McDonald's Malaysia has been forced to ration fries due to supply chain problems, adding the country to a list of places in Asia where the fast-food chain is facing shortages.

Large portions of french fries, as well as one type of large meal set, have been taken off menus at outlets in the South-east Asian country until further notice.

"We are facing a fry-tening supply crunch," McDonald's Malaysia said in a social media post this week.

McDonald's confirmed in a statement to AFP that its Malaysian branches are "currently experiencing supply challenges", with large servings of fries unavailable since Monday (Jan 24).

The chain, which has hundreds of outlets in Malaysia, said it would "closely monitor" supplies, and that large portions would be offered as soon as possible.

Global supply chains have faced major disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, causing shortages of goods ranging from food to electronics.

Earlier this month, McDonald's Taiwan said "unstable" shipping supplies had caused some of its stores to run out of hash browns imported from the United States.

McDonald's Japan has limited french fry orders to small sizes on two occasions since December, blaming the pandemic and Canadian floods that squeezed potato imports.