Government hopes Saudis allow more Malaysian haj pilgrims

Government hopes Saudis allow more Malaysian haj pilgrims

Mujahid Yusof Rawa says negotiations are ongoing.

Saudi Arabia allows 30,200 Malaysians to perform the annual Muslim pilgrimage based on a calculation of 0.1% of the country’s population.
SEPANG:
The haj quota for Malaysian pilgrims will remain at 30,200 for the 2019 season, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

He said the government was still negotiating with Saudi Arabia to increase the quota, in line with the growth in Malaysia’s population to about 31 million now.

He said the quota of 30,200 Malaysian pilgrims was obtained two years ago, based on the calculation of 0.1% of a country’s population set by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation 10 years ago.

“If the increase in Malaysia’s population is taken into consideration, we should get a quota of 31,200 pilgrims,” he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport upon his return from Jeddah where he was attending the annual meeting of haj ministers.

Mujahid also announced that the pilgrimage cost would remain at RM9,980 per person.

He said Malaysia’s smooth haj pre-departure programme this year would be considered by Saudi Arabia for the 2019 haj season.

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