TikToker questions lack of halal food at IKEA Alexandra, comments say he's 'entitled'

A TikTok user sparked debate after complaining about IKEA not having any halal food available at its Alexandra Road outlet.

In a video posted on Aug. 28, the user who goes by Jay Ishhaq Rajoo filmed himself at IKEA Alexandra's restaurant expressing disappointment about its food options.

"There’s nothing halal here, so I guess no food for us Muslims," he said.

Addressing the furniture chain, he asked, "I know you have one in Tampines, but what's so difficult [about having] a halal area in Queenstown? Don’t Muslims come and buy your stuff?"

His video drew criticism against him, as commenters, including several who said they were Muslims, called him "entitled".

The comments section has since been hidden and turned off, but one quoted by The New Paper read, "Im a muslim and not bothered about the need for IKEA to cater for Muslim. Don't make Islam look like the whole world needs to cater to us."

@jay.ishhaq.rajoo #Singapore #fyp ♬ original sound - JAY i. Independent Citizen

Stirring "critical thinking"

In response to such comments, Jay released another video, over seven minutes long, on Aug. 30 to argue that he was not speaking out of entitlement.

"I’m a minority, I’m not entitled to anything," he said. "For me to ask for halal food is not an entitlement, it’s a dietary requirement."

While acknowledging that his Aug. 28 video was "sarcastic", he added that he had no ulterior motives to stir racial or religious tensions.

"The only thing I stir is my cup of kopi and critical thinking," he said.

He pressed on with questioning IKEA why there is "no consistency" across its outlets, given that the Tampines branch serves halal food.

Highlighting that IKEA has been operating in Singapore since 1978, Jay said that "IKEA knows its social responsibility" towards Singaporeans, and urged the company to "walk [its] talk".

He called the lack of halal options in the Alexandra outlet "carelessness" on the part of IKEA, and said he hopes his remarks will get IKEA "to think".

@jay.ishhaq.rajoo #fyp #Singapore #halal #tiktoksingapore #singaporetiktokers🇸🇬 ♬ original sound - JAY i. Independent Citizen

IKEA's response

When Mothership contacted IKEA for a comment, the furniture chain said, "While the Swedish Restaurant and Swedish Bistro at IKEA Alexandra do not currently offer halal-certified meals, customers can enjoy halal-certified options at IKEA Tampines."

It explained that, "with its larger store footprint, IKEA Tampines accommodates a dedicated halal kitchen, serving lines, and other facilities required for halal preparation, and offers a variety of dishes such as baked chicken leg and beef cheek."

History of POFMA orders

Jay, who used to go by the handle @dr.ishhaq.jay on TikTok, has faced multiple orders from the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) office.

In August 2023, he received three correction directions for separate videos sharing what the POFMA office deemed to be false information on voting secrecy, CPF policies, and HDB flat affordability.

After he failed to put up the required correction notice on time, he was given a 24-month conditional warning in July 2024, The Straits Times reported.

Top images from jay.ishhaq.rajoo/TikTok and Google Maps