KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — The Shah Alam High Court today ruled that travel agency Hajar Sazrul Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd (HSTT) must settle the outstanding balance of RM634,000 for Furada visa Haj packages to 25 of its former customers.

The group comprises 15 individuals who had departed for Jeddah after receiving the e-visas but were stranded at King Abdul Aziz International Airport because the visas were forged.

Another 10 individuals had yet to depart as they had not received their e-visas, despite paying in full for the Haj packages in 2019.

In the online ruling, Judge Alice Loke Yee Ching found in favour of the 25 plaintiffs, concluding that they had successfully proven their claims against the defendants, namely, HSTT.

Judge Loke also dismissed the counterclaim filed by the defendant, seeking damages of RM479,350, and ordered them to pay costs of RM75,000 to the plaintiffs.

The matter was confirmed by the plaintiffs’ lawyer Khairun Niza Husnin, when he was contacted.

He said the plaintiffs were relieved and grateful for the decision and hoped that the management of the travel agency could settle the judgment payment as directed.

"Some plaintiffs are elderly, no longer employed, have low incomes, and they are only seeking their rights following the breach of contract by HSTT,” said the lawyer.

The Furada visa is a self-managed visa issued by Saudi Arabia that does not involve any quota obtained through Tabung Haji.

In August 2020, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit stating that sometime in 2019, they were invited to join the Furada Haj package for the same year, with guaranteed refunds should the package fail.

All the plaintiffs then paid for their respective packages, amounting to a total payment of RM795,000.

On July 31, 2019, the defendant informed the plaintiffs that e-visas had been issued for some pilgrims, including 15 plaintiffs in this case, and invited the remaining 10 to obtain visas through the King Salman Visa quota by paying RM7,000 each.

The 15 pilgrims who had received the e-visa left for Jeddah on Aug 5, 2019, without being accompanied by a mutawif (a person who guides Haj pilgrims).

However, upon arrival at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, all the pilgrims, including the 15 plaintiffs, were barred from entry at the immigration counter because their e-visas displayed different identities.

After being detained for 24 hours and forced to sleep on the floor and chairs, the pilgrims were ordered to return to Malaysia on Aug 7, 2019, and were obliged to perform Tahallul Ihsar (penalty) for failing to complete their intended Haj pilgrimage. — Bernama