Public cautioned over Haj pilgrimage scams
Published on: Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Published on: Tue, Apr 29, 2025 Text Size: Dr Mohd Arifin presenting contributions to the participants at the event. Kota Kinabalu: The public is advised to consult Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) to avoid falling victims to fraudulent Haj pilgrim package scams. Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Datuk Mohd Arif, who is also the State Islamic and Education Affairs Exco, said TH has extensive expertise in managing Haj pilgrims and is always ready to assist the public in obtaining verified information. 'The public will be less likely to fall for fake Haj packages if they conduct early checks by referring to TH or other recognised agencies. 'TH is also always prepared to offer advice and guidance to help the public choose packages from reputable agencies,' he said. Dr Mohd Arifin told reporters after officiating a Premier Course on Performing Hajj for West Coast Zone at the University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Masjid, here, last Saturday. The two-day course, held from April 26 to 27, was attended by over 400 future pilgrims from Sabah's West Coast zone. He said the State Government supports TH's efforts in helping pilgrims make early preparations for the Hajj pilgrimage. 'Thank you to TH for organising this course, which is also being held in other districts to provide future pilgrims with sufficient knowledge before they depart for the Holy Land,' he said. He said that nearly 1,000 pilgrims from Sabah are expected to perform the Haj this year and expressed hope that the quota will continue to increase in the future. Additionally, Dr Mohd Arifin encouraged the public to open Tabung Haji accounts and to teach children to start saving early to simplify the Haj registration process later on. Also present were Assistant Minister of Religious Affairs Datuk Ruslan Muharam; Sabah State Mufti Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar; Sabah Director of the Sabah Islamic Development Department (Jakim) Datuk Norjeli Idris; Director of the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains) Datuk Jumain Abdul Ghani; and Director of Tabung Haji for the Sabah and Sarawak region, Datuk Nurlaila Said. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Tighter controls, solid coordination keys to success of this Haj season
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For example, the last Haj season saw more than 1,300 heat stroke-related deaths when temperatures soared between 46 and 51 degrees Celsius. The majority of these involved illegal Haj pilgrims who entered Makkah to perform the Haj 'in secret' without going through the proper channels to ensure safety and organisation. This was among the major reasons for the Saudi government's strict enforcement, which is to reduce any risks of fatalities and more importantly, to prevent history from repeating itself. A more organised and safe Haj process is key towards effective management of the Haj, including in the aspect of managing the pilgrims' health, which is bolstered by the presence of more than 5,000 volunteers. These volunteers support the health services in three main areas namely prevention, treatment and support services. 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This includes ensuring that issues such as Haj scams and fraudulent Haj packages, which expose potential pilgrims to difficulties, are successfully stamped out. It pains the heart to constantly hear of how easily some quarters abuse religion to rake in profits. Such issues, which besmirch the name of Islam, need to be addressed effectively.
The Star
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The Star
a day ago
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Making it easy to worship
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