Hundreds Of Hajj Pilgrims Stranded At Airport, Lost Tens Of Thousands In Savings. Police Investigati
Source: ERA Facebook
380 Hajj pilgrims believed to have been cheated by a travel agency were left stranded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on July 7. They were seen gathered at level 5 of the airport, looking tired and frustrated.
The pilgrims were supposed to leave for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 4.30 pm but the travel agency said that their flight was delayed till 7 pm. Upon checking, the pilgrims realised that the last flight departing to Jeddah was 6 pm.
Some of the pilgrims then decided to report the matter to the police. 17 reports have been lodged so far against UC travel, the travel agency in question.
These pilgrims are believed to be victims of “Furada Visa”. Furada Visa is a Hajj Visa obtained directly from the Saudi Embassy and it is not issued by the “Tabung Haji” (Hajj Pilgrims Fund Board) of Malaysia. Many have fallen victim to Furada Visa scams as the Visa does not involve the hajj quota of the particular country.
Celebrities including Aaron Aziz, Adi Putra and Neelofa condemned the travel agency.
Neelofa prayed for their ease and for the stranded victims to be granted with strength to deal with the injustice that’s been done to them.
Source: Facebook, Neelofa
Adi Putra raised the question of why the news of stranded pilgrims seemed to be the norm in recent years.
Source: Facebook, Adi Putra
A victim from Terengganu, Jamilah, mentioned to Bernama.com that she spent RM76k to go on the Hajj this year.
Source: Bernama.com
She also said that they were not shown the tickets or visas but they chose to trust the agency regardless.
Source: Facebook, Bernama.com
Netizens shared their sympathies and prayed for the victims to get their justice.
Source: Facebook, ERA
Some mentioned that RM76k is not a small amount and most of the victims have spent years saving up to perform their pilgrimage.
Source: Facebook, ERA
There are concerned netizens who asked future pilgrims to be very wary when it comes to Furada visas.
Source: Facebook, ERA
According to Astro Awani, KLIA district police chief, ACP Imran Abd Rahman, the police have interviewed the owner of the travel agency who is now a suspect in the case.
“Yesterday (7 July), we interviewed him to get the story, as a result of this report we will conduct an investigation into whether there is any element of deception,”
He also added that the reports did not only come from KLIA but other areas including Setapak and Kajang. TRP mentioned in their report that the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) confirms that the agency in question is registered with them and possesses a valid licence. If found guilty of scamming, the travel agency faces suspension or revocation of its licence.
Reporter’s Opinions: There is a special place reserved in hell for people who scam others especially in matters of performing a religious obligation.
Source: Nikkei Asia
These stories are not new. Almost every year, there are such ponzi schemes targeted at the ones who are not willing to wait for the quota. But I don’t blame the victims either, it takes much longer for one to perform the Hajj nowadays as compared to about 20 years ago.
Take Singapore for instance, the quota this year is around 407 pilgrims. Malaysia is capped at 14 306 pilgrims. Excess per year is added to the waiting list and it gets longer.
Scammers exploit this issue and carve a niche for themselves. While it is the dream of every Muslim to perform the Hajj atleast once in this lifetime, there are other religious obligations one can do if they don’t get the opportunity. It’s better than getting scammed of your hard earned money.
Listen to Plan B’s Podcast this week!
