KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been given the full quota of 31,600 pilgrims for this year’s haj season, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.
He said the matter was relayed to him by Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah Minister Dr Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabia during a special meeting on Monday to discuss preparations for the 1444H/2023M haj season in conjunction with the 2023 Haj and Umrah Services Conference in Saudi Arabia.
“On behalf of the Malaysian government, I express my gratitude to the Saudi Arabian government for this full quota,” Mohd Na’im said in a Facebook post on yesterday, reported Bernama.
Mohd Na’im said that at the meeting, Tawfiq had praised Malaysia and especially the Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) for the systematic handling of the haj and the exemplary service provided to the pilgrims.
“I have given my affirmation that TH will always strive to provide the best service for Malaysian pilgrims and will abide by the Saudi Arabian government’s regulations,” he said.
He also expressed confidence that all aspects had been examined to ensure the safety of pilgrims from around the world while fulfilling the fifth pillar of Islam.
The haj quota for Malaysia and other Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries is 0.1% of the country’s total population. However, the quota was reduced last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.