.JPG "Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa speaks during a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang December 13, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Miera Zulyana")
SEPANG, Dec 13 — Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa today implored Saudi Arabia to increase the entry quota for Malaysian Muslims to perform their mandatory pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic religious affairs said the existing quota for 30,200 Malaysians does not reflect the growing number of Muslims in the country and should be adjusted accordingly.
“The current quota has been set based on the supposed 30 million people in the country but basing on the United Nations World populations prospects, Malaysia now has some 31 million people.
“As such the quota should be adjusted accordingly,” he told a news conference at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here.
Saudi Arabia currently sets the quota at 0.1 per cent of each country’s population, a limit introduced in 1987 following an agreement among all Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member states.
Mujahid also called for the pre-clearance of Saudi-bound Malaysian pilgrims to be maintained, saying it was effective in reducing the waiting times at the kingdom’s airports for those arriving to perform the Haj.
The programme allowed departing pilgrims to undergo Saudi Arabia’s immigration and customs clearance while still at KLIA, negating the need to go through the same when they arrive in Jeddah and Medina.
“Malaysia is the first country to be honoured by the Saudis for the pre-clearance programme. It has worked well and we want the programme to continue,” he said.
Mujahid was speaking to reporters after returning from a working visit to Saudi Arabia to meet Saudi Minister of Haj and Umrah Muhammad Saleh Benten and counterparts from other Muslim countries to discuss on Haj-related matters.
