TH gives priority to 70-year-olds to perform haj this year

Tabung Haji will give priority to pilgrims aged 70 years and above to perform the haj this year.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Senator Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said they will fill the vacant slots due to withdrawal.

"Every year, between 10 and 15 per cent of those offered places to perform the haj turn down the offer.

"Tabung Haji will fill the places with pilgrims aged 70 years and above," he said after giving incentives to 233 padi farmers of the Kemasin-Semerak Integrated Agriculture Development Authority (IADA) under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) here, today.

Asyraf said more Malaysians will get to perform the haj if the Saudi Arabian government approves Malaysia's request to raise the haj quota to 30,000.

On Feb 27, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was quoted as saying that King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia was receptive to Malaysia's request to increase the haj quota to 30,000 pilgrims. --BERNAMA