TANJONG MALIM: The government will help bring home 36 umrah pilgrims reportedly stranded in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said.
Zulkifli said he had received information about the incident and was verifying the details.
"InsyaAllah, they will be assisted and will return safely," he told reporters after officiating the #MADANI Membantu Jom Ke Sekolah 2026 at Dewan Muallim, Sultan Azlan Shah Polytechnic here on Sunday (Jan 4).
Local media earlier reported that 36 Malaysian Umrah pilgrims were stranded in Madinah because they did not have return flight tickets, and urged their travel agency to expedite arrangements.
On this year's haj quota, Zulkifli said Malaysia was still awaiting a response from the Saudi Arabian government regarding its previous request for an additional quota.
"The decision on any quota increase lies solely with the Saudi Arabian government. So far, there has been no response, and we are unsure when approval will be granted," he said.
Zulkifli was previously reported as saying that the government expects the number of Malaysian haj pilgrims to increase in the future compared with the current quota of 31,600 allocated by Saudi Arabia, and that Malaysia has submitted a request for an additional quota. – Bernama
