KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — Tabung Haji (TH) will continue to provide financial assistance to targeted haj pilgrims even though the full cost of performing the Haj has increased to RM30,850 this year compared with RM28,632 last year.
TH Group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amrin Awaluddin said that RM400 million was allocated for the Haj Financial Assistance (Hafis) targeted at B40 and M40 group’s first-time pilgrimage.
He said the B40 group will receive HAFIS assistance totalling RM19,870 per person or 64 per cent of the total haj cost, while the M40 group will receive RM14,870 per person or 48 per cent of the pilgrimage cost.
“During this year’s haj season, the payment rate for Muassasah pilgrims for the B40 group who are performing haj for the first time is set at RM11,980 per person — an increase of RM 1,000 compared to last year.
“Even if there is an increase in cost, the Malaysian government will bear RM1,000 and prospective pilgrims of the B40 group will only have to pay RM10,980 per person, the same as last year’s rate,” he said at a press conference here today.
Also present was TH executive director Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abd Rahman and general manager of TH Management, Nurrin Anuwar Shamsuddin.
Amrin said for a Muassasah pilgrim who is performing the haj for the first time in the M40 group, the fee increased by RM3,000 to RM15,980 per person, while for the T20 group, they have to pay the total cost of RM30,850 per person.
In the meantime, he also informed that TH would issue the Haj Offer Letter to 31,600 pilgrims for the year 2023 starting March 22.
“Prospective pilgrims must pass a health check before responding to the offer letter within seven working days through the THiJARI application or for certain cases, they can visit any nearby TH branch.
“For the selection of pilgrims, TH will give priority to prospective pilgrims of 2020, followed by those in 2021 and then in 2022 and 2023,” he said.
He said, for haj appeals outside the queue, pilgrims have to pay the total cost which is RM30,850 per person, except for individuals making a mahram appeal or for assistants to elderly pilgrims.
He said that as of now, a total of 3.8 million Malaysians are registered to perform the haj which would take about 146 years in waiting time due to quota constraints.
— Bernama
