PUTRAJAYA: The umrah travel company Hejira Travel & Tours Holding Sdn Bhd has had its licence suspended from Feb 28 to Aug 31, according to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
The ministry said that during the suspension period, Hejira Travel & Tours Holding Sdn Bhd must fulfil all previously booked or paid-for trips, and refrain from conducting new transactions, including advertising package sales.
The company has also been directed to promptly return payments and documents belonging to umrah prospective pilgrims who choose to cancel their bookings.
"The ministry takes any violation of legal provisions by licensed tourism enterprises seriously, to protect the welfare and interests of Madani Malaysians," the ministry said, in a statement on Thursday (March 27).
On Jan 14, it was reported that Hejira Travel & Tours Holding Sdn Bhd had failed to fly more than 300 umrah pilgrims to the Holy Land.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the ministry announced that the licence of Borneovac Travel Sdn Bhd has been revoked, under Section 8 of the Tourism Industry Act 1992, effective Feb 28.
Previously, media reported that the company was operating fishing packages using speedboats, which illegally entered Philippine waters on Sept 1, 2024, resulting in the detention of 15 individuals, including Malaysians and Chinese nationals, by local authorities. – Bernama
