KUCHING: Muslims intending to go on an umrah (minor pilgrimage) or haj should make arrangements with licensed travel agencies to avoid falling prey to fraudulent packages, says Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister said umrah fraud cases continued to occur, with victims from his constituency paying deposits for packages which failed to materialise.
"To those who want to go on an umrah or haj, make sure you do your research first.
"We have licensed travel agencies under the Sarawak Umrah and Hajj Association (Suha), so go through them," he said at a press conference announcing the Sarawak Umrah and Islamic Tourism Expo Festival (Suitex) 2026 here on Wednesday (Aug 5).
Suha chairman Ruzaiman Ghazalee added that Suitex was a platform for licensed agencies to share accurate information about going on a pilgrimage.
He advised the public to deal directly with licensed agents rather than going through middlemen.
Taking place in Miri on Aug 28-30, Suitex will feature 15 licensed haj and umrah travel agencies as well as financial institutions and government agencies.
Abdul Karim said his ministry welcomed programmes such as Suitex which facilitate spiritual tourism, not only for Muslims but also for other faiths.
"If there are travel agencies interested in arranging packages to the Vatican City for Christians or to Bhutan and Thailand for Buddhists, the ministry is ready to support and assist them," he said.
Abdul Karim added that the Sarawak government was committed to strengthening tourism as a key economic driver.
He said Islamic tourism had the potential to grow, not only in economic terms but also as a medium to facilitate cultural and regional cooperation.
"Suitex aligns with the Sarawak government's aspiration to expand our range of quality and inclusive tourism products," he added.
