PUTRAJAYA, May 14 — Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has not received an official report over the incident involving Malaysians stranded in Mecca and Madinah allegedly deceived by the offer of Haj packages using tourists visas.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, in a statement today, said pilgrims who feel they have been duped must lodge a complaint with TH, the Consulate General of Malaysia in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia or the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for further investigation.
‘So far, TH has not received any official reports on the matter. In this regard, the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) through TH every year would remind Muslims in the country to be more cautious with any cheap Haj packages offered by travel agencies not licensed under TH,” he said.
He said it is an offence for individuals or tour agencies to offer Haj packages without approval from TH, and they may face legal action under the TH Act 1995 (Act 535).
Mohd Na’im also advised Malaysians in the Holy Land without valid Haj visas to return home.
A news report based on a Facebook post on the “Forum Umrah DIY” page revealed that about 300 prospective Haj pilgrims were stranded in Mecca, believed to have been scammed by a tour agency offering cheap packages using tourist visas. — Bernama
