KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian man is asking for people to speak out about being cheated by so-called haj agents after his experience in the Holy Land recently.
The contractor who only wanted to be known as Azman said he spent RM85,000 on a 25-day VIP haj package, only to be let down by how he and his wife, as well as other members of their group, were treated.
The 49-year-old said they had received a mujamalah visa and were supposed to stay in the Holy Land from June 12 to July 16, but were told they had to return home early, on July 1.
Azman said he was told that this was due to the company's budget constraints.
"We were promised a VIP package, with four people per room at a hotel in the Zam Zam Tower, just about 50m from Masjidil Haram.
"However, upon arriving in Makkah, we were taken to an apartment in Aziziyah, nearly 10km from Masjidil Haram.
"Only after completing the haj rituals in Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina, were we moved to a hotel in the Zam Zam Tower," he told Berita Harian.
Azman said he had felt something off as soon as they landed in Jeddah as only five out of the 11 male pilgrims were in ihram.
They boarded a van, collected nusuk cards, and registered at a hotel in Makkah, but only four, including himself, received the cards.
"We were supposed to perform the obligatory umrah on June 12, but no transportation arrived. So, we rented a taxi to Makkah without a mutawif's guidance," he said.
Azman added that the pilgrims also did not have a WhatsApp group for easier communication, likely because the company feared they might discuss the issues they were facing.
"During the five nights at the clock tower hotel, my wife and I only received breakfast provided by the hotel, while lunch and dinner had to be paid for ourselves," he said.
He advised those planning to perform pilgrimages not to make the same mistakes.
"We had to walk everywhere, including 25km without transportation, and our friends without nusuk cards had to hide for fear of being arrested by the police.
"If nothing is done, this deeply entrenched practice will continue because the authorities are not taking action.
"More people will suffer and face difficulties performing the haj, and there's the risk of being caught by Saudi authorities for lacking valid haj visas," he said, adding that he was ready to expose the modus operandi of the high-profit scam targeting pilgrims.