TABUNG HAJI AIMS TO FULFIL 4,927 PROXY HAJ REQUESTS
This is the highest number of badal haji applications it has ever recorded
TABUNG Haji (TH) has received 4,927 requests for badal haji (proxy haj) this year, the highest recorded, and will endeavour to fulfil all of them.
Badal haji is haj performed on behalf of a person who is deceased or physically unfit. TH started offering this service in 1999.
The person who is going to perform the haj on someone else’s behalf is known as mahmoor and on whose behalf he is doing haj is known as aamir.
TH director of operations (guidance) Tengku Aziz Raja Abdullah said the selection of those carrying out badal haji was based on interviews with them.
“Once we are satisfied that they are qualified to perform the haj, we will put their names in our database.
“TH has computerised the
badal haji system and kept a database of those interviewed and who qualified in previous years. We now have 5,600 people in our database.
“This year, some of those in our database had to leave Saudi Arabia due to issues with their permits but insyaAllah (God willing), we will be able to fulfil all requests this year,” he told Malaysian media at Abraj Al-Janadriyah, the TH headquarters here.
He said all Muslims were welcome to carry out the badal haji, but they must have performed the haj for themselves first.
Applicants, he added, were from Thailand and Indonesia, as well as Saudi locals.
Applications for badal haji are capped at 5,000 a year, with each costing about 2,400 Saudi riyal (RM3,000).
Tengku Aziz said from this year, there would be no closing date for applications from Malaysians who want badal haji performed for their family members.
“We will take all applications but only up to 5,000 will be performed this year, with the rest to be carried out next year.”
The mahmoor are paid RM2,607 to perform the badal haji — 1, 000 Saudi riyal up front and the balance after the completion of wukuf.
“At the time they receive the second payment, we will interview them again. That way, we can monitor whether they have completed the haj properly.”
Long lines of applicants were seen at the lobby of Abraj AlJanadriyah the past several days. Badal haji can be performed by a man or woman for any other man or woman.
One of them, Yaacob Ramli, from Pattani, Thailand, said he had carried out badal haji for the last eight years for TH.
“The application, interview and payment process has always been smooth.”
He said, however, that even though he had performed the haj many times on behalf of others, it was always challenging because of the weather, among others.
“I take it as a test of faith.”