This year's haj pilgrims will be given priority next year - TH

Pilgrims whose turn has come to perform the haj this year will be given priority to do so next year.

Tabung Haji (TH) group managing director and chief executive officer (TH) Datuk Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff said, those whose turn is in 2021, however, will be given the opportunity to perform the haj in the same year subject to quota vacancy.

“TH will be postponing all programmes related to haj operations for the 2020 haj season in line with the Malaysian government’s decision not to send pilgrims for haj pilgrimage due to health and safety factors amid COVID-19,” he said in a statement here today.

Religious Affairs Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri today announced the decision today after receiving the consent of the King, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised serious public health concern across the globe, claiming the lives of 418,000 people and infecting over 7.4 million others, so far.

In fact, he said they will also be eligible to receive TH dividend for this year.

“TH calls on all potential haj pilgrims to be patient and accept the decision with an open heart and pray that the situation will return to normal soon so that haj operations can resume next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, TH in replying to several frequently asked questions said pilgrims whose appeals have been approved to perform the haj this year need to submit a new appeal for next year.

On the deposit paid for haj package, all TH-licenced haj package operators are required to refund the deposit to the pilgrims subject to the operator-client agreement.

On medical examination, all pilgrims will be required to undergo another medical examination next year as the result for each examination is valid only for six months.

However, the compulsory meningococcal vaccination need not be re-taken if it is still in its validity period (usually three or five years depending on the type of vaccination) for next year’s haj season, while the additional vaccination for pneumococcal (five years) and influenza (one year) will also depend on its validity period.

-- BERNAMA