All vacancies to perform Haj pilgrimage this year have been filled up - Idris Ahmad

JOHOR BAHRU: All the more than 1,000 places that have been vacated by those offered by Tabung Haji (TH) to perform the haj pilgrimage this year, due to various factors, including health, have been taken up, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Datuk Idris Ahmad.

He said priority to fill the vacancies were given to those who had been listed to perform the Haj in 2020 and 2021.

"The list of the prospective pilgrims is updated every day. If there is a vacancy, those at the top of the waiting list will be given priority.

"For the first stage, 1,000 people have declined the offer (to perform the haj pilgrimage), and the vacancies have all been filled up," he told reporters after the pre-launch of the national-level 2022 Quran Recitation and Memorisation by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi at the Iskandar Johor Islamic Centre here today.

A total of 14,306 Malaysians will perform the haj pilgrimage this year with the first flight to the holy land to leave on June 4.

For this year's haj pilgrimage, only those aged 65 and below, with no chronic disease and possess the COVID-19 vaccination certificate wre eligible. They are also required to submit a negative COVID-19 PCR test performed within 72 hours of the time of their departure to Saudi Arabia.

On this year's national-level Quran Recitation and Memorisation, to be held at the Iskandar Johor Islamic Centre from June 9 to 18, Idris said it would involve the participation of 84 participants, involving 42 in the men's catgeory and 42 for the women's category, from 14 states.

According to him, the event is scheduled to be opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on June 12, while the the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar is scheduled to close the event and present prizes to the winners.

The national-level Quran Recitation and Memorisation is annual programme organised by the federal government and is managed by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) since 1979 with the aim of promoting Islamic teachings in Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA