KUALA LUMPUR – The public is advised to only deal with individuals and companies registered with the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (Motac) for haj pilgrimage – especially with regards to engaging haj by proxy (badal haji) services – given the risk of fraudulent activities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) vice-president for umrah and haj Mohd Azri Abd Razak said any queries on this practice, including related travel packages, should only be addressed by registered travel companies with an umrah licence and the Tabung Haji panel.
“The fees for haj pilgrimage and badal haji services must be reasonable and in line with the current situation considering the outbreak,” he said in a statement today.
On Thursday, Lembaga Tabung Haji had also cautioned the public of a similar matter stating that any offer of haj proxy services at a price below RM2,500 per person was unreasonable as the cost of permits and other expenses to be borne by locals in Saudi Arabia was much higher than this.
So far, the Saudi Arabian government has not issued an official announcement on the implementation of the haj pilgrimage for this year’s season. – Bernama, June 12, 2021
