Malaysia is expected to know the quota for this year’s haj pilgrimage during Ramadan, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom.

Expressing his hope that Malaysia’s quota will not be affected by Bersih 3.0 protests in Mecca and Medina on April 26, he said: “We are working hard to ensure that the Saudi Arabian government will maintain our quota.”

Speaking to reporters after addressing haj mentors for the coming pilgrimage in Shah Alam today, he said Najib Abdul Razak had clarified with the Saudi Arabian government on the protest.

“Even during his visit to Jeddah to pay his last respects to Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud who died last month, the prime minister asked the Saudi government to maintain the haj quota,” said Jamil Khir.

He said until today, 984,204 Muslims had registered for the pilgrimage this year, of which about 12,000 are aged 75 and above.

He said the actual cost of this year’s haj pilgrimage was RM15,155, but pilgrims were needed to pay only RM9,980 as the amount was subsidised by Lembaga Tabung Haji.

Jamil Khir said Tabung Haji planed to introduce a website and an e-Book on haj pilgrimage as value-added services to pilgrims.

He urged Muslims to be wary of fly-by-night agencies offering cheap haj packages, claiming that they had the means to get pilgrims included in the haj quota.

- Bernama