HAJ PILGRIMAGE

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for the Environment and Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs whether he will make a statement concerning 242 Singaporean Muslims who recently nearly missed their Haj pilgrimage although all of them had paid fully for their trips.

The Minister for the Environment and the Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Speaker, Sir, every year, before the start of the haj season, MUIS appoints pilgrim brokers after carefully screening their credentials. Pilgrim brokers help intending pilgrims to register with MUIS for the haj, provide training on haj rituals and look after their welfare in Saudi Arabia.

MUIS also selects General Sales Agents (GSAs) who provide haj packages at competitive prices. The haj packages include board, lodging and internal travel in Saudi Arabia. Only those GSAs who are able to satisfy the conditions imposed by MUIS are selected.

For this year's haj, MUIS selected 13 pilgrim brokers and seven GSAs. When their appointments were announced, MUIS advised intending pilgrims to deal only with these authorized pilgrim brokers and GSAs.

The pilgrims referred to by Mr Chiam were those who went against MUIS' advice and paid money to a travel agent who was not selected by MUIS as a GSA. This travel agent was unable to fulfil his obligations to the pilgrims. MUIS has lodged a report against the company with the Commercial Crimes Division and the case is under investigation.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Is the Minister aware that many pilgrims have complained of the high cost of the haj package? I believe in Singapore it is being charged at $6,500 per package whereas in Malaysia it is only about $3,800. Why is there this big discrepancy in prices?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Sir, it is not quite true that in Singapore the pilgrims are charged at $6,000. There are several haj packages available to the pilgrims depending on where they want to be accommodated, that is, either in hotels or flats, and the kind of facilities they are going to get. As for the Malaysian charge, I do not know what kind of accommodation they would get for $3,000.

Mr Chiam See Tong: What is the range of haj packages in Singapore which are charged by local GSAs?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have the figures with me. If the Member likes, I can give him the list of travel agent and he can ask them.

Encik Ibrahim Othman (Bedok GRC): Sir, could the Minister inform the House what actually happened to the 242 pilgrims who nearly missed the haj this year? Also, what kind of advice would the Minister give to would-be pilgrims in the future?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Sir, when the matter came to MUIS' attention, MUIS sought the cooperation of the approved GSAs to assist the 242 pilgrims to proceed on their haj. Except for 18 pilgrims, Sir, the remaining 224 accepted the offers of the GSAs at specially reduced price.

I would like to assure this House, Sir, that MUIS would do its utmost to ensure that the welfare of Singapore pilgrims is properly taken care of during haj. However, Sir, those pilgrims who choose to ignore MUIS' advice and make their own arrangements with unauthorized pilgrim brokers or unauthorized GSAs must surely bear the consequences of their action.

I would therefore urge would-be pilgrims for next year's haj not to register with any pilgrim broker or any GSA yet until MUIS has officially announced the list of approved pilgrim brokers and GSAs.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Does the Minister know that brokers or sub-brokers are charging exorbitant commissions, something like $500 to $700 per person?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Sir, the practice is that after each batch of pilgrims returns to Singapore MUIS will conduct a kind of feedback session. So any pilgrim who has been over-charged by a pilgrim broker can make a complaint to MUIS and we will deal with that pilgrim broker individually.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Has the Ministry dealt with any pilgrim broker who has overcharged commissions?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Sir, pilgrim brokers with unfavourable reports will not be appointed as pilgrim brokers.

Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe (Marine Parade GRC): Would the Minister ask MUIS to provide the list of pilgrim brokers and GSAs early so that would-be pilgrims can make their arrangements quickly?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Yes, I would try and get MUIS to announce the list of approved pilgrim brokers and GSAs as soon as possible.