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PUTRAJAYA – The Malaysian government and Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) will soon hold discussions with Mecca and Medina hotel operators on room rates in an effort to control or reduce the cost of performing the haj this year.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the Saudi government is not responsible for the increase in hotel rates in Mecca and Medina, as informed by its Haj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabia recently.
“Tawfiq said that he has no jurisdiction over the hotel rates and that we will have to deal directly with the hotel owners there,” he told the media after announcing the Federal Territories’ total zakat collection and distribution for 2022 here today.
On January 16, the media reported that the cost of performing haj for muassasah pilgrims this year is expected to increase to about RM31,000, an increase of about RM2,368 compared with RM28,632 per pilgrim last season.
On the increase in the cost of performing umrah of up to RM10,000 from about RM7,000 previously, Na’im said it was possibly due to the hike in hotel rates in Saudi Arabia.
He proposed that the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, which is involved in regulating umrah travel agencies, hold discussions on the matter with hotel operators in Saudi Arabia. – Bernama, January 26, 2023