KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian pilgrims who are affected by the temporary suspension of umrah and tourist visas by the Saudi Arabian government can either seek a refund or wait for the green light to perform their umrah at another time.
The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents’ (Matta) vice-president (umrah and haj), Mohd Azri Abd Razak, said this, however, applied only to those who had booked their umrah package for last month and this month.
He said following news of the visa suspension, Matta had instructed travel agencies that handled umrah trips to convey the information to their customers.
“We have asked our travel agents to give affected customers the option of a refund or wait until the Saudi Arabian government lifts the suspension.”
“At the same time, we discussed with airlines that operate umrah charter flights, such as Saudi Arabian Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, on the issue of flight ticket refund, and they have agreed to do so.”
However, Azri said, it was not the same case with hotels in Makkah and Madinah.
“They only allow us to move the booking date, instead of giving refunds.”
“And since booking fees for accommodation have been paid in advance, travel agencies will have to use their money to refund customers.”
Azri said Matta had not received any official confirmation from the Saudi Arabian government on the use of the electronic system to refund umrah fees.
Since the period of visa suspension was indefinite, he said affected pilgrims who wanted to perform their umrah at another time might need to pay extra for their flights, if their trips were during the peak season period.
On the issue of stranded umrah pilgrims at Kuala Lumpur International Airport recently, Azri said it was possible that the group might have bought packages from agents that did not register with Matta.
“As soon as we learnt about the suspension, we immediately informed our agents and instructed them to take action.
“So, it’s strange that this thing happened.”
A mutawif (religious guide) attached with El Izzah Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd, Mohd Faizul Mohd Salleh, said his agency had arranged to reschedule umrah pilgrimages with no extra cost for pilgrims.
“After we got the news of the visa suspension, we put on hold the scheduled umrah trip on Feb 27.
“We informed pilgrims registered with us about the suspension and our back-up plans while waiting for the green light from the Saudi Arabian government,” he told New Straits Times yesterday.
He said his agency would absorb all the losses caused by the suspension.
“We are aware that changing the flights will incur additional fees, but we are ready to pay for our customers.
“At the moment, we have put on hold all umrah trips until further notice.”
Umrah and Haj Travel Agency Association (Papuh) president, Datuk Seri Razali Mohd Sham said there were no Malaysian pilgrims stranded in the Holy Land.
“They are waiting to board the flight home,” he said.
Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of umrah and tourist visas on Feb 27 due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The move affected more than 10,000 Malaysian pilgrims.