SHAH ALAM, March 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today announced that the government will bear the RM1,000 increase in the cost of performing Haj for each B40 pilgrim this year.

Anwar said this was a change implemented by the Unity Government in providing subsidies for Muslims in the country to perform the pilgrimage.

"We make changes for the B40 group... Although during the previous administration, the cost for B40 increased by RM1,000 and by right, there will also be an increase of RM1,000 this year. (But) I think they don’t need to bear the cost.

"The RM1,000 increase will be borne by the Finance Ministry so that the people (from B40 group) can perform Haj without additional cost,” he said in his winding-up speech at the 2023 PKR Special National Congress here.

As for the M40 group, Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the cost increased by RM3,000 while those from the T20 group will have to bear the total cost of performing Haj.

"This is how we look at what was not done by the previous administration because last year, it (the cost) still increased,” he said.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar was reported as saying that the cost of performing Haj this year is expected to increase by over RM2,000 to RM30,850 per person. — Bernama