Haj Scam: Johor Govt Saddened By Pilgrims' Ordeal, Urges Trust In Authorities
State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said he is closely monitoring the situation and praying for the safety of those affected.
'We are saddened that such haj-related scams continue to occur. What is even more distressing is that the victims are elderly individuals and those with health issues,' he said in a statement today.
He urged the families of the victim to remain patient and place their full trust in the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation.
The state government, he added, stands ready to assist the relevant authorities in resolving such issues and educate the public to be more cautious.
Mohd Fared stressed that there are no shortcuts in performing haj, and advised the public to rely on the expertise and advisory services of Tabung Haji.
According to media reports yesterday, 47 Malaysian pilgrims allegedly fell victim to the scam, believed to be linked to a prominent religious figure.
A daughter of one of the victims claimed her parents and aunt left for Saudi Arabia to perform the haj with the said agent on May 9.
However, upon arriving in Jeddah, they were allegedly forced to travel on foot via unsafe routes without valid haj visas, fearing strict enforcement by Saudi authorities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
10 minutes ago
- The Star
Akmal Saleh gives statement to police at Dang Wangi station
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh completed giving his statement at the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters (IPD) here at 1.25am on Saturday (Aug 16) over the assembly in Kepala Batas, Penang last Thursday. Muhamad Akmal's lawyer, Aizat Azam, said the Merlimau assemblyman had extended good cooperation and answered all of the approximately 80 questions posed by the investigating officer. "He (Muhamad Akmal) was investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 506 of the Penal Code, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,' he told reporters when met in front of the IPD today. Meanwhile, Muhamad Akmal said he would give full cooperation to the police in the investigation into the case. He arrived at the Dang Wangi IPD at 11pm yesterday to have his statement recorded. The police had earlier confirmed that they had opened an investigation over a viral video posted on the Facebook account under the name 'Akmal Salleh'. - Bernama
The Star
34 minutes ago
- The Star
Tycoon spared jail in ex-minister case, fined S$30k
Billionaire tycoon Ong Beng Seng ( pic ) was fined S$30,000 (RM98,385) for abetting the obstruction of justice in a case linked to former transport minister S. Iswaran. Ong, 79, was handed the maximum fine yesterday for the offence after he had earlier pleaded guilty to it on Aug 4. When Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng delivered the sentence, Ong looked ahead and had no reaction. After the hearing ended, he gave a thumbs up to one of his lawyers. Judge Lee agreed with the prosecution and defence that judicial mercy should be exercised in this case due to Ong's ill health. She said: 'Based on the clear and undisputed medical evidence before this court, the accused suffers from advanced multiple myeloma (an incurable cancer of plasma cells), and a sentence of imprisonment would carry a high and increased risk of endangering his life.' Judge Lee noted the offences committed by Ong in this case were undoubtedly serious, as the charge he admitted to involved conduct likely to obstruct the course of justice. Had Ong's medical condition been absent, the appropriate sentence would have been three months' jail, said Judge Lee. The prosecution had earlier acknowledged that while eight weeks' imprisonment would ordinarily be warranted in this case, they did not object to a fine for Ong as jail time would result in an increased risk of endangering his life. Ong's lawyer, Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, had argued that his client's medical condition has had a destructive impact on his skeletal system. Imprisoning him would thus dramatically increase life-threatening risks for him, said Bull. Ong, the Malaysian tycoon who is the rights owner of the Singapore Grand Prix (Singapore GP) arrived at the State Courts at around 2pm flanked by his lawyers and security team. Ong did not speak to reporters as he walked towards the entrance. The hearing ended in 30 minutes, after which Ong was seen signing what appeared to be a cheque book. He left the State Courts at around 3.25pm without speaking to the media. Those convicted of abetment of obstruction of justice can be jailed for up to seven years, fined or both. Under the Criminal Procedure Code, the District Court can impose a maximum fine of S$30,000 for the offence. In December 2022, Ong asked Iswaran if the then minister would like to join him on a trip to Qatar. Ong told Iswaran he would be his guest, travelling on his private jet. The businessman added he would take care of all of Iswaran's expenses for the trip, including his hotel accommodation. Iswaran accepted his offer. After one night in Doha, Iswaran returned to Singapore on a business-class flight valued at S$5,700 (RM18,693), which Singapore GP also paid for. In May 2023, while the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was investigating a separate matter relating to Ong's associates, it came across the flight manifest of the outbound flight on Ong's private jet that Iswaran took to Doha. On May 18, Ong was informed by his associates that CPIB had seized the flight manifest that had details of the Doha trip. Ong told Iswaran about this over the phone. Iswaran asked Ong to have Singapore GP bill him for the Doha trip, including the flight to Singapore on Dec 11, 2022. Ong agreed and had Singapore GP director Mok Chee Liang arrange the payment, and told Mok to keep proper records of this. On May 24, 2023, Mok e-mailed Iswaran's personal assistant with an invoice for the flight from Doha to Singapore. Iswaran then issued a cheque for S$5,700 to Singapore GP, which the prosecution said had a tendency to obstruct the course of justice, as it made it less likely that he would be investigated by CPIB in relation to the Doha trip. The prosecution said Ong also knew that Iswaran's act of paying for the flight from Doha to Singapore was likely to obstruct the course of justice. On Oct 3, 2024, Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months' jail after he pleaded guilty to five charges, including four over obtaining valuable items as a public servant. — The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
S'pore drivers offering illegal e-hailing rides
JOHOR BARU: Singapore-registered drivers, who are not allowed to offer e-hailing rides into Malaysia, are openly advertising such services, charging as much as S$180 (RM591) per person for a trip to Johor Baru. These illegal e-hailing operators usually promote their services on social media as well as WhatsApp and Telegram messaging apps, offering rides to various destinations, said Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli. 'A one-way trip from Singapore to Johor Baru Sentral could cost up to S$180 per person, while a ride to Legoland Malaysia could go up to S$200 (RM657). 'They also offer rides to destinations out of Johor. A trip from Singapore to Ipoh could cost almost S$1,200 (RM3,942),' he said. The fares of these illegal operators were significantly higher than licensed car rental companies, he told a press conference at the Johor JPJ headquarters on Thursday night. Aedy Fadly said that four Singapore-registered vehicles, including a van and luxury multipurpose vehicles, have been seized by JPJ in its first special operations starting Aug 9 to deal with such operators. 'They were found ferrying mostly Singaporean and foreign passengers for tourism purposes. They have been involved in such activities for quite some time,' he added. 'The drivers, in their 30s and 40s, were without a Malaysian road tax or public service vehicle registration.' He said the drivers, who do not have permits to operate e-hailing services in Malaysia, would only have their Singapore e-hailing sticker on their windshield. 'These operators have no approval from the Malaysian government, Land Public Transport Agency or JPJ to operate here,' he said, adding that the enforcement was aimed at protecting passenger safety. 'In the event of an accident in Malaysia, it could have serious consequences for the passengers, the driver and even relations between both countries.' Asked if the crackdown was in response to Singapore's recent enforcement against Malaysian e-hailing drivers, Aedy Fadly denied it, saying that it was Singapore's Land Transport Authority's (LTA) right to carry out its duty. 'The operation conducted by JPJ has a different modus operandi, not as a reaction to LTA's operations,' he said. He said that JPJ would continue conducting targeted operations in several hotspots before expanding to surrounding areas. 'Any foreign e-hailing vehicle operating in Malaysia without a permit will face firm action from now on,' he added. The action was taken under Section 80 of the Land Public Transport Act, with investigations under Section 61 of the same Act for operating without a valid licence, he said, adding that JPJ would seek court action to forfeit the vehicles. He also urged the public to report violations through the MyJPJ e-Aduan application or by emailing aduantrafik@ with supporting evidence.
