Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will not send pilgrims for the haj season this year, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.
He said the decision on the matter was made after receiving the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
“Based on the briefings by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) and the Special Muzakarah Committee Meeting of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs, held on June 9, the Haj pilgrimage for the 1441H Haj pilgrimage season has been postponed. This had been a difficult decision as we know performing the Haj is of great importance to Muslims,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Zulkifli said the syarak has stated that doing things that can cause damage or harm must first be avoided before doing good deeds provided that the maslahah (benefit) derived is far less than the damage that is likely to occur.
Zulkifli said so far, there is no vaccine yet available to prevent the spread of Covid-19 that has claimed many lives worldwide.
“Performing the Haj pilgrimage which is the fifth pillar of Islam is closely linked to the concept of istito’ah or the capability of performing the pilgrimage in terms of health, safety, permission to travel to the Holy Land as well as finance.
“Without the capability in the matters mentioned, it is not obligatory to perform the pilgrimage,” he said.
Zulkifli said he had also submitted an official letter about the suspension to Saudi ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Dr Mahmoud Hussien Saeed Qattan which would be presented to Saudi Arabia Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Muhammad Saleh bin Taher Banten.
Malaysia is among the countries that have suspended the sending of their Haj pilgrims besidese Indonesia, Singapure, Cambodia, Thailand and Brunei. — Bernama