Govt cracks the whip on umrah scams
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has launched the Integrated Manasik Monitoring System (Imams) to crack the whip on umrah scams, bring errant operators to book and protect people from becoming victims of fraud.
Deputy Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the implementation of the system, which would also bolster pilgrims’ regulatory management system, had been approved and recognised by Saudi Arabia.
Imams is the only official portal for umrah visa applications that will be processed by the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Malaysia.
Each pilgrim using Imams will be charged a RM45 fee, the lowest rate in the world, compared with Jordan, Egypt and Sudan, which uses a similar system.
The Umrah Regulatory Council made it mandatory for the 65 travel agencies accorded with the muassasah (authorisation to manage pilgrims) status and umrah special licence to adopt and comply with Imams beginning yesterday.
“Those who do not comply will be brought to book. Stern action will be taken against them, which include the revocation of their licence,” Mas Ermieyati said.
“We hope people will not be duped with scams offering umrah packages that are too good to be true, and retailed below its floor price of RM4,900.”
The Tourism and Culture Ministry will scrutinise umrah package advertisements to weed out scams. As of last month, the ministry has 234 licensed travel agencies that offer umrah packages, of which only 65 are accorded with the muassasah status.
Several measures have been put in place to bolster umrah management under Imams, including the introduction of an “umrah marketing officer card” appointed by umrah travel agencies to differentiate between a genuine officer and a bogus one.
Imams will also integrate the operations of these genuine appointed officers. The system will compile a comprehensive database of these officers and make it public.
Imams will introduce a database and central monitoring system for umrah package operators and pilgrims. Umrah package operators will need to apply through the system for the ministry’s approval on their umrah package advertisements.
Umrah pilgrims will also have access to verify stakeholders, such as ministry officers, travel agencies and the status of their packages via Imams.
They will be updated on the progress of their packages, such as flight bookings, accommodation, as well as the status of their visa application and group takaful (Islamic insurance) coverage.
Mas Ermieyati said Imams was a transformational drive in Malaysia’s umrah regulatory management, as it was all-encompassing and covered loopholes of the entire umrah management chain, which was previously taken advantage of by fraudsters.
“Imams will beef up surveillance, investigations, enforcement as well as the offering and implementation of umrah packages in the market in a more organised and systematic manner.”