PETALING JAYA: Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing has ordered travel agencies offering umrah packages to put up mandatory bank guarantees after 36 pilgrims were stranded in Madinah because of a company’s failure to provide accommodation and return flights.
Tiong said these bank guarantees would protect pilgrims and ensure timely compensation in cases of fraud, negligence, or operational failures by travel operators.
In a Facebook post this evening, he noted that the stranded pilgrims, including the elderly and children, had paid RM7,600 each and were forced to seek charitable donations to purchase return tickets.
The matter was reported to the ministry through the Malaysian embassy in Riyadh, with the government helping to secure the pilgrims’ passage back to Malaysia yesterday.
“The agency neglected its basic responsibilities. While their return is a relief, the fact that such incidents continue to occur is unacceptable and demands immediate decisive action.
“Incidents like this occur frequently, causing public outrage and leaving victims helpless. Many pilgrims have had to bear significant losses and struggle to find a way home without any support from the operators who should have been responsible,” he said.
Tiong said the ministry’s preliminary investigation found that the company’s premises were no longer in operation.
A report recommending the cancellation of the company’s licence is being finalised for consideration, he said.
“The ministry will ensure that only agencies that are professional, responsible, and integrity-driven are allowed to operate,” he added.
