Haj panel looks at Malaysia model to end subsidy

The government panel reviewing Haj subsidy is closely looking at the Malaysian way of the Islamic pilgrimage.

While the Indian government subsidises a part of the Haj travel, the Malaysian model (Tabunjg Haji) allows people to deposit money over years and when the fund is enough for pilgrimage, the government agency arranges the pilgrimage for the person.

Unlike the Indian model, Malyasian pilgrims fund their own travel. But the catch is that the Malaysian model takes a long time before a person can go to Haj.

The minority affairs ministry constituted a panel in January this year even as the Supreme Court directed the Centre in 2012 to gradually remove the Haj subsidy by 2022.

Earlier, the external affairs ministry had proposed to cut the subsidy by 10% annually after the it jumped to ₹827 crore in 2008. Prominent Muslims and organizations have also demanded that the Haj subsidy should be scrapped as it is not strictly compliant with Islamic rules.

Two years ago, a group of MPs had also visited the Haj office in Malaysia to understand the model. “The model is otherwise perfect. But the only problem is that in Malaysia, the waiting period is 85 years. Such a long wait list can’t be accepted in India, which has a huge Muslim population,” said Afzal Amanullah, the head of the panel.