Nabil Luqman

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Malaysia Airlines

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Two Members of Parliament from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) have called for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to drop alcoholic beverages from its inflight menu in favour of local drinks such as cendol, sirap bandung, and ais batu campur (ABC). The proposal, made during the debate on the Supply Bill 2026 in Parliament, has since sparked heated debate about the balance between cultural representation, religious sensitivity, and the airline&rsquo;s economic viability.
<img src="https://r2.myc.my/c262dc3c8dc72516cdfbc82f8de566803bfabc0f6d82702d702c04200e39f5ef" />
Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki (PN&ndash;Parit) and Muhammad Ismi Mat Taib (PN&ndash;Parit Buntar) argued that serving alcohol was unnecessary to attract tourists and that replacing it with traditional beverages would promote Malaysia&rsquo;s cultural identity while sparing Muslim flight attendants from serving alcohol.
&ldquo;To attract tourists, it&rsquo;s not necessary for us to serve alcohol on flights. What&rsquo;s wrong with offering traditional drinks like sirap bandung, cendol, and ABC instead?&rdquo; Mohd Misbahul said. Muhammad Ismi supported the idea, claiming that most passengers do not consume alcohol and that it is wrong to &ldquo;take pride in things prohibited by religion.&rdquo;
The Arguments: Religion, Culture, and Airline Conduct
<img src="https://r2.myc.my/2f0b54807233292251885e047c85f0a1a27171c9ed864c5f10070fd52b77d4d4" />
The PAS MPs&rsquo; justification rests on two pillars &mdash; promoting local culture and upholding Islamic values. They believe that offering local beverages would showcase Malaysia&rsquo;s heritage while aligning with the religious sensitivities of the majority-Muslim cabin crew.
Another PAS representative, Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (PN&ndash;Sik), supported the motion, recalling a 2015 incident on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH179 to Sri Lanka, which was forced to turn back after an unruly drunk passenger disrupted operations. He also pointed to airlines like Saudi Arabian Airlines and Royal Brunei &mdash; both of which do not serve alcohol &mdash; as examples of &ldquo;successful&rdquo; carriers operating without alcoholic offerings.
PAS&rsquo;s Hulu Selangor MP, Mohd Hasnizan Harun, had also raised similar concerns earlier this year, claiming that Muslim flight attendants were being made to serve alcohol &ldquo;against their will.&rdquo; He urged the Transport Ministry to impose a blanket ban on alcohol aboard MAS flights, framing it as a matter of respect for religious sensitivities rather than an attempt to limit passengers&rsquo; rights.
A Longstanding Campaign by PAS
<img src="https://r2.myc.my/9b28112e006d7eaca099905ba2ac77f275e22fb6bc07bb4aa88c0d030cc6832e" />
This is not the first time PAS has pushed to make MAS &ldquo;alcohol-free.&rdquo; Back in 2017, then-PAS Youth deputy chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari made the same suggestion after another incident involving an intoxicated passenger attempting to enter the cockpit on a flight from Melbourne.
The party&rsquo;s moral crusade over air travel has extended beyond drinks. In 2017, PAS lawmakers also criticised &ldquo;revealing&rdquo; flight attendant uniforms, claiming they were inappropriate for a Muslim-majority nation and could &ldquo;arouse passengers.&rdquo; Calls were made for shariah-compliant attire across airlines, with Malindo Air being praised for its &ldquo;modest&rdquo; uniforms compared to AirAsia and Firefly.
For PAS, the national carrier should reflect Islamic and Malaysian values &mdash; not Western norms. Yet, this repeated insistence on moral conformity has reignited debates about whether Malaysia&rsquo;s flag carrier should operate based on religious principles or remain a global, secular brand.
Critics Warn of Economic and Tourism Fallout
&nbsp;<img src="https://r2.myc.my/5e769f4e29210b72d1f061f004481623ad68c344299574f706930118fd53a166" />
While the proposal may appear harmless, industry analysts and tourism advocates warn it could spell disaster for Malaysia Airlines and the country&rsquo;s tourism sector.
MAS has spent the past decade rebuilding from financial crises, the MH370 and MH17 tragedies, and pandemic losses. Today, international routes account for the bulk of its revenue &mdash; and alcohol sales form a significant portion of inflight and duty-free earnings. Removing it, analysts argue, could weaken the airline&rsquo;s competitiveness in a sector where margins are razor-thin.
Globally, alcohol remains a staple of premium in-flight service. Business and first-class passengers &mdash; who generate up to 40% of MAS&rsquo;s total revenue &mdash; often expect complimentary wine, beer, or spirits as part of their travel experience. Replacing champagne with cendol, critics say, risks alienating high-paying customers and reducing loyalty among international travellers.
&ldquo;Airlines like Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Emirates offer top-tier beverage services and dominate international rankings. If MAS goes &lsquo;dry&rsquo;, it will lose out to these competitors overnight,&rdquo; one aviation analyst commented.
Additionally, tourism experts point out that over 70% of Malaysia&rsquo;s international visitors are non-Muslims, many from countries where alcohol consumption is normal. Banning alcohol on the national carrier could send the wrong message and deter tourists, especially long-haul travellers from Europe and Australia who expect such amenities.
Lessons from Langkawi: A Warning for PAS
&nbsp;<img src="https://r2.myc.my/a023ff5bf0fe205573fd2dc5019bcf5bde5cd1f4c678762e0df5df0c98b5ba69" />
Critics have drawn parallels between PAS&rsquo;s proposal and past policies in Kedah, where alcohol restrictions under PAS-led governance contributed to a tourism slump in Langkawi.
When Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor introduced alcohol limitations and joked about enforcing dress codes, hotel occupancy rates fell sharply, and investor confidence waned. Tourism numbers never fully recovered, with the island losing billions in annual revenue.
Observers warn that enforcing similar ideology-driven policies nationwide could cripple Malaysia&rsquo;s broader tourism ambitions. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve already seen what happens when ideology trumps economics in Kedah &mdash; MAS could be next,&rdquo; one tourism stakeholder remarked.
Logistical and Practical Challenges
&nbsp;<img src="https://r2.myc.my/bdbfcbcbb9b8e584a737ee849e4cc5f06a94015385aefee03eb0e0231ac50bf0" />
Beyond the financial arguments, aviation experts also question the feasibility of serving cendol or ais batu campur mid-flight. These iced desserts require refrigeration, preparation space, and have a short shelf life &mdash; making them impractical for inflight service. Turbulence, spillage, and food safety concerns would further complicate matters.
In contrast, alcoholic drinks are shelf-stable, easy to store, and simple to serve. &ldquo;The galley space on most aircraft is limited. Preparing cendol at 35,000 feet isn&rsquo;t just difficult &mdash; it&rsquo;s absurd,&rdquo; one cabin crew representative commented.
A Divisive Proposal in a Multicultural Nation
At its core, the debate over cendol versus champagne is more than a menu dispute &mdash; it&rsquo;s a reflection of Malaysia&rsquo;s ongoing struggle between religious conservatism and multicultural inclusivity.
Malaysia Airlines is not a religious institution but a national carrier that serves passengers of all faiths. Imposing a ban to satisfy one group&rsquo;s sensitivities risks alienating others and undermining Malaysia&rsquo;s image as a welcoming, multicultural nation.
While PAS insists the move is about cultural pride and moral responsibility, critics say it represents yet another attempt to &ldquo;Islamise&rdquo; public institutions. As one opposition MP noted, &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t about protecting flight attendants or promoting local culture. It&rsquo;s about imposing one moral code on everyone else.&rdquo;
A Debate Between Identity and Pragmatism PAS MPs&rsquo; push for cendol over alcohol may stem from good intentions &mdash; promoting local culture and respecting religious norms &mdash; but the economic, logistical, and reputational consequences could be severe.
Malaysia Airlines, striving to regain its footing on the global stage, needs policies that attract passengers, not alienate them. In the end, while cendol may symbolise Malaysian sweetness, banning alcohol might leave a bitter aftertaste &mdash; for the airline, its crew, and Malaysia&rsquo;s tourism future.
&nbsp;
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media &amp; various cross-references for context.
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Now it may sound like a good idea, but it could also lead to the airline going bankrupt.

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PAS MPs Call For Malaysia Airlines To Replace Alcohol With Cendol 

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PAS MPs Call For Malaysia Airlines To Replace Alcohol With Cendol

Now it may sound like a good idea, but it could also lead to the airline going bankrupt.

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