KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian pilgrims who obtain a Furada Visa or Mujamalah Visa are advised to use the services of Pilgrimage Operators (PJH) licensed by Tabung Haji (TH).
TH Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Syed Hamadah Syed Othman said that a total of 37 PJH companies held Tourism Operator Licences issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC).
He said these companies had strong financial standing, expertise, and sufficient experience to ensure the welfare of pilgrims.
“TH continuously monitors all PJH from the planning stage to implementation to ensure that all pilgrims receive the best services and to prevent any fraud,“ he said in a statement yesterday.
Syed Hamadah explained that the issuance of Furada and Mujamalah Visas for specific groups was the exclusive right of the Saudi Arabian government and fell outside the official national hajj quota.
He said the Saudi Arabian government was actively introducing various initiatives to enhance the efficiency of hajj procedures to facilitate the pilgrimage process and ensure the safety of pilgrims from around the world.
According to him, Saudi Arabia will also implement stricter security measures during the peak hajj period with a more efficient verification system to check every pilgrim entering the Masyair area.
“Any use of an unauthorised visa will result in legal action and heavy fines,“ he said.
Meanwhile, he said TH fully supported the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) advisory for the public to be cautious of hajj fraud syndicates and not to be easily deceived by offers of visas and hajj packages outside the national hajj quota.
He stressed that any individual or travel agency offering hajj packages without a licence from TH was committing an offence and could face legal action under the Tabung Haji Act 1995 (Act 535).
Yesterday, PDRM, through its Commercial Crime Investigation Department, revealed that 44 cases of hajj and umrah fraud were investigated in 2024, involving losses amounting to RM890,810.53.
