KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) and Tabung Haji are still in the process of finding the best way to help a group of Malaysian pilgrims who are stranded in Mecca because they used tourist visas to perform the Haj pilgrimage.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said this included the option of bringing home the Malaysians concerned.
"Currently we are investigating and so far we have not been able to confirm the number of those stranded. However, we are also always in touch with the Malaysian Consulate (in Jeddah) because this is a shared responsibility to look after the welfare of Malaysians there," he told reporters after attending the International Waqf Conference 2024 (IWC24) here on Tuesday (May 14).
Based on media reports, about 300 prospective Malaysian pilgrims are now stranded in Makkah as the agency managing their trip failed to fulfil the promise to obtain permission for the group to perform the haj pilgrimage this season.
Some media reports also claimed that the number of Malaysians stranded far exceeded the 300 figure, running into thousands of Malaysians trapped in Mecca.
It is learnt that the prospective Haj group was deceived by the offer of a cheap Haj package by using tourist visas to perform the pilgrimage.
As such, Tabung Haji advised the pilgrims involved to make an official complaint or report to it and the Malaysian Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to facilitate further investigation.
