Travel agency considers alternatives to bring home stranded umrah pilgrims

The travel agency handling the 87 umrah pilgrims reportedly stranded in Makkah over the past five days has pledged to consider alternative ways to bring them home as soon as possible.

Syarikat Al Fajr Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd said it would source airlines such as Saudi Airlines to bring back the pilgrims after Mega Maldives Airlines, which was to have flown back the pilgrims, reported that its aircraft developed engine problems on Dec 26.

The travel agency's operations manager, Maj (Rtd) Abdul Rashid Sarbini, asked the pilgrims, many of whom are from Batu Pahat, Johor, to be patient and give the agency a little more time to bring the pilgrims home.

"The problem started with the Mega Maldives aircraft developing engine problems. The aircraft was supposed to bring our pilgrims as well as those handled by other companies home from Jeddah on Monday (Dec 26). They have now informed us that the repairs will take between five and 10 days," he said when contacted here today.

Abdul Rashid said the pilgrims had been informed of this latest development and the airline was providing them with accommodation while Al Fajr Travel and Tours would take care of their meals.

The pilgrims are now expected to return home by Jan 1 or 2 at the earliest.

"It is our responsibility to bring the pilgrims home, so we hope that they and their families here will be patient," Abdul Rashid said.

He said the pilgrims need not worry about action against them by the Saudi Arabian government for overstaying in Jeddah as the agency had conveyed the matter to their representatives there as well as the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Haji and Umrah.

"No action will be taken against the pilgrims, do not worry. If anything, it will be against us (the company). But, in this case, we have informed the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Haji and Umrah, so there is no question of any action, except in the case of pilgrims who intentionally overstay," said Abdul Rashid.

Yesterday, 87 pilgrims from Batu Pahat were reported to have been stranded in Makkah after their travel agent allegedly failed to arrange their return flight as scheduled.

Checks by the Malaysian Consulate General in Jeddah found that the pilgrims who arrived in Jeddah on Dec 12 were allowed to stay there for 30 days until Jan 12.

Meanwhile, according to a statement issued today, Mega Maldives said it was still waiting for word from another airline to run charter flights to bring the pilgrims from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur.

The airline understands that reasonable notice had to be given before the flight for the passengers to get to the airport.

"If passengers make other arrangements for their travel, we request that they let us and their travel agency know so that we can the necessary seat arrangements," it said.

-- BERNAMA