SHORTER WAITING PERIOD FOR HAJ
Achieved due to warm ties between Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, says Tabung Haji chairman
TABUNG Haji (TH) has shortened the waiting period for Malaysians to perform the haj from 89 years to 50. Its chairman, Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, said the target was achieved due to warm ties between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
“In the past, it was 102 years. The current waiting period was 89, and we have set it to 50 years or even shorter. If a father registers his newborn now, the child will be able to perform haj by the time he is 50 years old.”
Azeez said this after distributing aid to 1,500 people at the Ziarah Kasih Ramadan roadshow here yesterday.
He said the increase in haj quota for Malaysia, which would be able to send between 35,000 and 40,000 pilgrims from next year, automatically reduced the waiting time for would-be pilgrims.
He said under the current waiting period, those who registered for haj with TH from birth would be able to go to Mecca only when they reached 80.
“How many people live until 80?” Azeez said.
The increase in the haj quota followed a discussion between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Saudi Arabia’s ruler King Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud during his recent visit to Malaysia.
Azeez said the government had appealed to the Saudi Arabia government for land in Mecca and Medina for the construction of a TH complex to house Malaysian pilgrims under one roof.
He said currently accommodations for Malaysian pilgrims were scattered around Mecca.
He said this made it difficult for TH to monitor and look after the needs of pilgrims from Malaysia.
“This Ramadan, our minister will look for suitable plots of land before making the final decision in the haj season.
“If pilgrims from other countries have to walk several kilometres to reach the Kaabah, our pilgrims will have to walk only about 600m to 700m. We want to shorten the distance. This is possible because of our close ties with Saudi Arabia.”
On the event, Azeez said the aid came from TH Foundation, donations from its corporate partners and Umno, adding that no funds were taken from TH depositors’ savings.