KUCHING: The Sarawak Umrah and Hajj Agencies Association (SUHA) has clarified that none of its members were involved in a recent umrah scam that left dozens of Sarawakian pilgrims stranded.
SUHA Chairman, Ruzaiman Ghazalee, addressed the viral incident, noting that the agency responsible is based in Peninsular Malaysia and had only recently opened a branch in Kuching.
He said the clarification was necessary to prevent public confusion and to protect the reputation of local agencies that uphold strong integrity and maintain a clean service record.
“SUHA is deeply concerned about any issue involving the welfare of pilgrims from Sarawak.
“We urge enforcement authorities, including the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), to take stern action without compromise,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 5).
Ruzaiman called for heavy penalties against errant agencies, including blacklisting and prohibiting them from operating through proxies or alternative names, to preserve the credibility of the country’s umrah industry.
Touching on the proposed Bank Guarantee (BG) requirement by MOTAC, he warned that setting the guarantee at a high rate would place significant financial strain on small and medium-sized agencies.
“Such a move risks destabilising the umrah industry’s ecosystem, particularly in Sarawak and Sabah.
“Local agencies under SUHA have demonstrated clean and disciplined management over a long period,” he said.
Ruzaiman added that any implementation of a high BG requirement must take local realities into account to avoid disrupting a well-functioning industry ecosystem.
As an alternative, SUHA expressed support for the use of an insurance scheme, provided it is enforced comprehensively on all travel agencies handling overseas travel to ensure fairness and uniformity.
He concluded by stressing that governance of the national umrah industry must be strict and consistent, adding that loose regulations are unacceptable.
“Only agencies with integrity should be allowed to operate to protect pilgrims and maintain public trust in the nation’s umrah industry,” he added.
