TH urges prospective haj pilgrims to register for Covid-19 vaccination
Covid-19 vaccination made mandatory by Saudi govt for prospective pilgrims, says Tabung Haji
IT is important for prospective haj pilgrims to register for the Covid-19 vaccine to ensure they are on the waiting list to be inoculated. Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) haj executive director Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman said this was vital as vaccination was a mandatory requirement set by the Saudi government for haj pilgrims.
He said TH would discuss with the Health Ministry on its vaccination plan and how to accommodate the needs of prospective pilgrims.
“The Saudi government’s health minister has announced that vaccination against Covid-19 is a requirement for haj pilgrims this year. It is up to the Health Ministry to determine the schedule (to vaccinate pilgrims),” he said at a press conference on TH’s preparations for the haj under the new normal yesterday.
He urged prospective pilgrims who had received their offer letters to perform the haj last year to immediately register for vaccination through the MySejahtera app, through the official website at vaksincovid.gov.my or by calling 1800-888828.
He said TH and its branch offices were ready to help prospective pilgrims register for vaccination, especially the elderly and those without Internet access.
Syed Saleh said pilgrims should start preparing, such as attending haj courses, ensuring they had enough funds, completing health check-ups and vaccinations, including for meningococcal.
He said the first flight for this year’s haj would depart in June, but there was no announcement yet on whether Malaysians would be allowed to participate in the haj this year, the number of pilgrims that would be allowed to join or the pilgrim selection criteria.
On March 10, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba had said vaccinations for haj pilgrims would begin in mid-May.
People who receive two-dose vaccines need to wait 21 days after the second dose to be fully protected from the virus.
Syed Saleh said the cost to perform the haj had increased by about nine per cent this year, from RM22,900 to about RM25,000 per person.
He said the government had yet to decide whether the amount borne by pilgrims would increase.
TH subsidises RM12,920 for all
first-time pilgrims under muassasah, with pilgrims paying only RM9,980 per person.
This figure has remained unchanged since 2009.
Syed Saleh said the rise in the cost of haj was due to a three-fold hike in the value-added tax (VAT) imposed by Saudi Arabia.
He said the VAT had increased from five per cent in 2018 to 15 per cent in July last year.
“There may be other factors that will impact the cost of this year’s haj, such as other Covid-19 standard operating procedures or rules that have not been announced,” he said.