Inclusive, not entitled: Interfaith advocate Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib weighs in on SIA halal food discussion

Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib, academic, writer, Director of Dialogue Centre and the founder of the Centre for Interfaith Understanding, has weighed in on the controversy over halal meals served on Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights.

Mohd Imran said the issue was "embarrassing" to him as a Muslim and discussed the difference between inclusion and entitlement in a multi-cultural society.

Threads user appeared to be Malaysian

On April 20, 2026, a Threads user questioned if the Muslim in-flight meals for SIA were heated in the same ovens as meals containing pork.

The user, who appeared to be Malaysian, said her original flight with a Middle Eastern airline was cancelled and she was looking for a replacement flight. Middle Eastern airlines such as Emirates and Qatar Airways typically serve halal meals.

Several online commenters who claimed to be former or current SIA cabin crew confirmed that the halal and non-halal meals would be heated up in different ovens if there was space.

However, if all the ovens are occupied, the meals would be heated up together, but they noted that halal and kosher meals have different procedures and are usually placed on the top rung of the oven.

SIA guidelines also state that passengers who require Muslim meals should request for them at least 24 hours before departure under the special meals option.

Halal SG also responded, saying that while the airline as a whole may not be halal-certified, it doesn't mean that the food served on flights is not halal.

It added that what happens on board is more about handling and reheating, not cooking from scratch.

"While the ovens may be shared, flights generally have procedures in place to prevent cross-mixing (e.g. sealed meals, proper handling)."

Entitlement mentality

Mohd Imran said Muslims must learn to live in a multicultural society without "having to demand that society bends to our every need", but the challenge was that some people "conflate inclusion with entitlement."

Inclusion is practised when a person's dietary need is met, and SIA does so by providing the option of having halal meals on flights.

Responding to Mothership's earlier enquiries, an SIA spokesperson said their Muslim meal options "are prepared without pork, lard, or alcohol, and the ingredients are sourced from halal-certified suppliers".

However, these meals are not halal-certified, as the serviceware used is not segregated by meal type and the meals are reheated in the same ovens as other in-flight meals.

Mohd Imran opined that to demand that the meals be "halal-certified" is "entitlement mentality."

He explained that many Muslims understand that meals being halal and halal-certified are two distinct categories.

"While all halal-certified food are halal (permissible), not all non-halal-certified food are haram (prohibited). One therefore practices personal discretion, as we do in every other situation."

SIA's assurance

He pointed out that with SIA's assurance that their Muslim meals are sourced from halal-certified suppliers, any reasonable Muslim would take that assurance as a guarantee that it is halal to be consumed.

"To further question this is no longer a question of food but one's attitude and trust. What does it say about us when we raise doubts about the assurance given by a professional body like SIA?"

Mohd Imran echoed a point made by Halal SG that if one is still in doubt, they could always choose not to consume SIA's meals and prepare their own food to eat on board instead.

He added that he hoped Muslims would question the entitlement-mentality in this recent controversy, and for future incidents.

"I also hope that non-Muslims do not bend backwards to pacify and placate the most puritanical and ignorant bunch of Muslims out there.

And I hope the reasonable voices within the community---particularly the enlightened asatizah (religious teachers) among us---continue to educate the wider population and not let the puritanical and ignorant voices dominate and shape perceptions towards Islam and the Muslim community."

Mohd Imran's post was generally met with support, and reshared by prominent Singaporeans like ex-Straits Times editor Bertha Henson, ex-Nominated Member of Parliament Braema Mathi and former Temasek CEO Ho Ching.

You can see his post below: