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.
