Only identity card needed to get payments for umrah losses - Idris

KUALA TERENGGANU: Pilgrims only need to bring their identity card to any Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) branch to get payments from the government for the losses they incurred following the month-long temporary postponement of umrah travel imposed since Jan 8.

Minister in the Prime Minsiter's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad said the pilgrims do not need to register as the list of those affected would be provided by the travel agencies that handled their umrah trips.

"Once MOTAC (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture) received the list of names, it will give it to Tabung Haji,"

"We will check whether the pilgrims have an account (wtih TH) before asking them to go and collect (the payment) at Tabung Haji," he told reporters after a ceremony to present business aid under the Inspirasiku programme at Kampung Raja Barang near Chendering, here today.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary has recently said that the government would pay up to 60 per cent of the losses incurred by pilgrims affected by the postponement of umrah travel.

Ahmad Marzuk said the process to check the list of the affected pilgrims was expected to be completed by the middle of this month.

At the ceremony, Idris presented a replica cheque worth RM5,000 to asnaf Mohd Khaizuan Oslan Affandi who runs a bakery business.

Apart from the aid, Mohd Khaizuan, 34, has also received other assistance amounting to RM50,000 under the programme which is implemented by the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM).

-- BERNAMA