KUALA LUMPUR: The Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has advised prospective Malaysian haj pilgrims to be patient while waiting for the official announcement on the status of this year's pilgrimage.

TH Haj executive director Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman said TH would inform all prospective pilgrims on the matter once it obtained the official decision from the Saudi Arabian government regarding the quota, selection criteria and methods of performing haj for this season.

"People are advised to wait for official information from TH. Please contact TH Contact Centre (THCC) at 03-62071919 for further enquiries," he said in a statement today.

Syed Saleh said TH has started initial preparations since last year by taking into account various possible standard operating procedures (SOP) and health protocols as well as new normal practices in conducting haj operations either at home or in the Holy Land.

He said TH had recommended all prospective pilgrims selected in 2020 to register as recipients of COVID-19 vaccine under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme and they started receiving the vaccine shot in addition to the mandatory meningococcal jab since March.

"Nevertheless, prospective pilgrims will still need to pass a health examination when they receive the offer letter to perform haj later," he added.

In this regard, Syed Saleh advised all prospective pilgrims to always be prepared and make the necessary preparations.

-- BERNAMA