TH retains cost of Haj pilgrimage at RM9,980

KUALA NERUS: The Pilgrims Management and Fund Board ( Tabung Haji) has retained at RM9,980 the cost for a Malaysian to perform the Haj in the next pilgrimage season, the same as over the past nine years.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said yesterday Tabung Haji or TH maintained the sum although the actual cost for the next season would be RM19,550, up from last season’s RM18,890.

“Thus, TH is subsidising RM9,570 for every individual, and a total subsidy of over RM200 million,” he said to reporters after the closing of the 33rd nationallevel Haj discourse here.

Also present were TH group managing director and CEO Datuk Johan Abdullah and Terengganu Communications, Multimedia and Special Functions Committee chairman Ghazali Taib.

Jamil Khir said the Haj offer letter to the 22,320 intending pilgrims was issued on Nov 2 and some of them had already begun attending the preparatory course.

“For the next Haj season, the first flight of intending pilgrims will leave the country (for Saudi Arabia) on July 24, 2017, and the last flight on Aug 25, 2017.

“Wukuf Day is expected to be on Aug 31, 2017. The first flight of pilgrims returning from the Holy Land is on Sept 7, 2017 and last flight on Oct 4, 2017,” he said. — Bernama