Private haj packages are increasingly popular among Malaysians as the number of pilgrims choosing to perform their haj via private travel agencies has increased over two-fold this year as compared to last year's haj season.

1438 Hijrah Haj Package Organiser operations director Mat Admara Alang Azizdin said this year, 5,021 Malaysian pilgrims travelled via the private packages as compared to 2,300 pilgrims last year.

He said the cheapest package offered during this pilgrimage season was RM25,000 and the most expensive was RM160,000 per pilgrim, adding that so far, over 2,000 pilgrims who had opted for the private packages had arrived in the Holy Land.

"The sudden increase is due to aggressive marketing carried out by the respective haj pilgrim agencies. I am convinced this is because unlike previous years, from last year onwards there were no issues of travel agencies losing their licence, being fined or given warnings.

"This shows the pilgrim travel agencies are now careful as they are aware of the consequences if they do not provide the services as promised," he told reporters at Makkah TH headquarters at the Abraj Al-Janadriyah Hotel here.

According to Mat Admara, for the haj season this year, the Pilgrims Fund Board (TH) has given its wholly-owned subsidiary, TH Travel Services Sdn Bhd and 18 other private travel agencies the permission to handle haj pilgrims via approved travel packages.

He said as with muassasah pilgrims, pilgrims travelling on private packages had been selected by TH and they included those whose appeals had been considered based on various factors.

He said it was mandatory for the companies which had been given the licence to provide haj packages to issue brochures informing the terms and conditions of service, such as the number of pilgrims in one room, the price charged and the distance between the Great Mosque and the pilgrims’ hotel.

To ensure that the companies complied with the set rules and regulations, Mat Admara added that TH had mobilised a team to monitor the situation in Makkah and Madinah.

"Our team will inspect every accommodation provided in the private packages. We will also evaluate other aspects such as food and drinks provided, the hotel distance from the Great Mosque and so on, to ensure pilgrims received what they had been promised," he said.

He also advised pilgrims going via the private packages to complain to the agencies if they felt they had been shortchanged and resolve the matter between them.

"However, if the problem cannot be resolved, approach our staff and the complaint must be made in writing while still in the Holy Land. This is to enable our team to obtain evidence that the complaints are valid.

"We must be fair and truthful in our dealings to ensure neither party has been victimised," he said, adding that private companies whose licences had been terminated would not be given a second chance.

-- BERNAMA