‘A test of faith': Pilgrims recount harrowing haj ordeal after alleged scam

SEPANG: 'This is all Allah's will. You must accept it. The greater the hardship, the greater the reward.'
Those were reportedly the words used by a prominent religious figure to pacify a group of 49 Malaysian haj pilgrims, many of them elderly, as what was promised to be a smooth pilgrimage instead became a harrowing and dangerous ordeal in Saudi Arabia.
The group, who returned to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today, allege they were deceived by a local haj agent claiming to offer legitimate packages. Instead, they say they were forced to endure extreme hardship, including trekking through deserts and climbing rocky hills to enter Makkah without valid documentation.
Speaking to reporters at KLIA Terminal 1, a 63-year-old trader from Batu Pahat, Johor, said the ordeal began after their initial six-day stay in Madinah.
'Things were still manageable in Madinah. But once we were moved to Makkah, everything changed. We had to walk through deserts and climb hills. It was dangerous,' he said.
The pilgrims claim they were smuggled into the holy city via unofficial and hazardous routes to avoid detection by Saudi authorities, as none of them possessed valid haj visas, a violation of Saudi law that could carry serious legal and safety implications.
According to earlier reports, the group had departed for Saudi Arabia on May 9. They later claimed they were held in cramped, dark rooms and asked to pay an additional RM9,000 to retrieve their belongings despite already having paid RM30,000 each for the haj package.
One of the returnees, a 64-year-old lecturer and wife of the Johor trader, described how food was scarce and the group was left to ration minimal meals.
'We shared one fried egg and two small fish between five people. Two pieces of chicken were divided among seven. When we asked why, the organiser told us to accept our fate and place our trust in God,' she said.
Forty-eight of the 49 pilgrims returned to Malaysia via Turkish Airlines flight TK60. One individual is believed to have continued their travels to Switzerland.
Police said three reports have been lodged by the victims' families and investigations are underway to identify those behind the suspected scam targeting pilgrims.

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