THE official haj quota for Malaysia this year has been increased to 31,600, said Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

The minister in charge of religious affairs said this compares with last year’s 30,200.

He said the increase of 1,400 pilgrims resulted from discussions between Malaysia, through Lembaga Tabung Haji, and Saudi Arabia.

“Previously, we were given a quota of 30,200 pilgrims, based on 0.01% of our non-updated (30 million) population, but according to 2017 figures from the United Nations, the population of Malaysia had increased to 31.6 million.

“As OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) stipulates that each country gets a haj quota of 0.01% of its population, we notified (the Saudi government) of… the UN’s new statistics,” he told a special press conference today at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where he arrived after a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia.

During his trip, Mujahid held a meeting with Saudi Haj and Umrah Minister Mohammed Saleh Taher Benten in Mecca, as well as one with Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Minister Sheikh Abdullatif Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh in Riyadh.

Mujahid said the bigger quota will reduce the waiting time for Malaysians who want to perform the haj pilgrimage.

Asked about Tabung Haji’s preparations, he said: “Alhamdulillah, of course, when we asked for an increase in the quota, we also made sure that Tabung Haji is well prepared, and every aspect (of haj operations) is taken into account.” – Bernama, January 22, 2020.