KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is unaffected by the Saudi Arabian government’s new ruling of not permitting children to join this year’s haj, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar.
"If we look at the announcement, the ban is for children 12 and below. In Malaysia, Tabung Haji have already set the age limit of 15 years,” he told reporters after presenting the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council’s (MAIWP) scholarships and special incentives to asnaf students from the Mara Junior Science Colleges and boarding schools here on Wednesday (Feb 12).
He clarified that Malaysia respected the ruling and believed that the Saudi Arabian government conducted a thorough study on the matter.
"The rule was made to ensure that the haj runs smoothly. As we know, the haj season is peak season, (there are) millions of people... maybe it isn’t suitable for the children with such high temperatures, so it will cause complications,” he said. – Bernama
