'Don't fall for private companies offering Haj visa'

The public have been reminded not to fall for any private companies offering a complete haj package with visa without having to go through the Pilgrims Fund Board (Tabung Haji).

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said, the government regretted the fact that in every haj season, there would be cases where pilgrims taking such a package were stranded due to visa problems.

"We know that many pilgrims stranded at the airport and, following an investigation, we found that they were registered to perform their pilgrimage with certain companies and not with Tabung Haji," he told reporters here today.

He said the investigation also found that the companies offered various packages by claiming that they would get the visas directly from the Saudi government or by purchasing the visas from other countries' haj quota.

The minister said no agencies were ever issued visas directly by the Saudi government as the haj visa issuance was a government-to-government matter.

Jamil Khir said the Saudi government had never allowed the haj quota for a country to be transferred to another and that they had never dealt with any companies or agencies pertaining to haj pilgrimage.

As such, he said the public planning to perform their haj pilgrimage through the haj package offered by a private company were advised to contact the Tabung Haji to verify the status of the company.

He said this was because Tabung Haji had a list of recognised agencies offering the same package.

"Every year after the haj season, the Malaysian government will also convene a meeting with the muassasah management and the Saudi government to improve any weaknesses during the haj season," he added.