KUALA LUMPUR: The government has launched the Integrated Manasik Monitoring System (Imams) to crack the whip on Umrah scams, bring the errant operators to book as well as protect the people from such fraudulent activities in the future.
Tourism and Culture Deputy Minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said Imams will better manage the umrah pilgrims, beef up its regulatory management system as well as snuff out the errant operators.
"We hope that the people will not be duped with such scams which offers too good to be true Umrah packages which is retailed even below its floor price of RM4,900," Mas Ermieyati said in a statement here today.
The Umrah Regulatory Management Council has made it mandatory for all the 65 travel agencies accorded with the Muasassah (umrah special license) to adopt and comply with Imams effective December 15.
As at November 2017, the ministry has 234 licensed travel agencies which offer the umrah packages, of which 65 are travel agencies accorded with the Muasassah while another 169 travel agencies are not accorded with the Muasassah.
Under Imams, several safeguard measures were introduced to beef up Umrah management in Malaysia as well as end the fraudulent activities of the Umrah scammers for good.
The first measure is the introduction of the Umrah marketing officer card officially appointed by the Umrah travel agencies to differentiate between the bonafide officer with the fake Umrah marketing agent.
Imams will also compile a complete and comprehensive data base of official umrah marketing officers made available to all for public viewing and verification.
Bonafide and licensed Umrah marketing offices appointed by licenced travel agencies will now be integrated under Imams.
In another measure, the ministry will scrutinise and monitor all Umrah package advertisements and promotions in a more stringent manner to weed the authentic advertisement from the dubious ads which cheats the people.
A data base and a central monitoring system will also be introduced for all umrah package operators as well as the pilgrims.
Umrah operators will now need to use the Imams platform to obtain approval from the ministry before offering as well as advertising the Umrah packages to the people.
Under Imams, umrah pilgrims will also have access to verify the stakeholders such as officers from the ministry as well as the travel agencies and the pilgrims themselves can check on the status of their packages.
Under Imams, umrah travellers will be notified and updated on a regular basis on the progress of their packages such as flight bookings, accomodation as well as the status of their visa umrah application and group takaful (Islamic insurance) coverage.
Mas Ermieyati said Imams is a transformation drive in Malaysia's umrah regulatory management which is all encompassing and plugs all the loopholes at the entire umrah management chain which was previously taken advantage of by the fraudsters.
She added Imams will beef up surveillance, investigations, enforcement as well as the offering and implementation of the umrah packages available in the market in a more organised and systematic manner.
She said in its war against umrah scams, the ministry studied and analysed the entire Umrah package implementation and scams can take place at various levels which are at the pre-sales, sales and after sales service.
"The main factor which led to the umrah scam has been identified to the unregulated issuance of the umrah visa by both licensed and unlicensed travel agencies and individuals.
She added travel arrangements within the umrah packages were also manipulated by the scammers during the pre-sales and sales servicing stage.
The Malaysian government also received the approval from the Saudi Arabian government over the implementation of Imams.
Imams is the only official portal for all umrah visa applications which will be processed by the Saudi High Counsein Malaysia.
"Those who do not comply will be brought to book and stern action will be taken against them which include the reovation of their license," said Mas Ermieyati.
Each pilgrm who use the Imams system will be charged RM45 per person which is the lowest rate in the world compared to to other countries which utilise the same system which are Jordan, Egypt and Sudan.