KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Malaysia will not be sending pilgrims for the 1442H haj season following the decision of the Saudi Arabian government to only allow the residents and citizens from within the kingdom to perform the pilgrimage this year.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri in a statement today said the matter was due to the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world.
“I received a phone call just now from Dr Abdelfattah Sulaiman Mashat, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Haj and Umrah, regarding the decision of the Saudi Arabian government on the involvement of pilgrims from foreign countries for the 1442H haj season.
“Therefore, on behalf of the Malaysian government, I would like to state that Malaysia will not send pilgrims for the 1442H haj season, abiding by and respecting the decision of the Saudi Arabian government which only allows haj to be performed by the residents and citizens from within the kingdom,” he said.
Zulkifli said the same information had been received by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein from his counterpart Prince Faisal Farhan Al Saud.
An official statement by the government of Saudi Arabia was also issued at 6.10 pm, he said.
