KOTA BARU, Oct 3 — The government will announce the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and mechanisms for Muslims in the country to perform the umrah pilgrimage in November.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said the announcement would emphasise on procedures to perform umrah especially in the new norm.

He said the mechanism of sending pilgrims to the holy land and new SOPs to perform umrah would be decided by the department through the Wakaf, Haj and Umrah Department.

"The department will manage and compile suitable and safe SOPs and mechanisms and only then will the government give permission to send the pilgrims,” he told reporters after presenting a contribution of RM20,000 to the Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen) in Pengkalan Chepa here, today.

Also present were Puspen director Siti Rugayah Ismail and Kelantan National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) director Rahayu Ahmad.

The contribution was to enable 195 trainees at the centre to carry out farming activities including hydroponic farming.

Commenting further, Ahmad Marzuk said the quota for Malaysian pilgrims would depend on the decision of the Saudi Arabian government.

"To date, as we already know, they allow 100,000 pilgrims to perform umrah daily.

"It is a large number… maybe there is a breakdown for Malaysia, Asian countries and others. However, we will comply and implement according to the quota to be given later,” he said.

Previously, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Haj and Umrah had announced that the daily capacity for umrah pilgrims had been raised to 100,000 people from last Friday while the number of worshippers allowed to perform obligatory prayers in the Grand Mosque had also been raised to 60,000. — Bernama