KUALA LUMPUR: Conditions and standard operating procedures (SOP) are being drafted before the government can allow Malaysians to perform the umrah pilgrimage again by the end of this year.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary said Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) which monitors the pilgrimage operations in Saudi Arabia has been informed of the latest development.
"In fact, we are still drafting some necessary SOP and conditions to perform umrah," he said during the minister's question time session at the Dewan Rakyat, today.
Marzuk was answering supplementary questions from Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Pakatan Harapan-Balik Pulau) on the latest development for umrah in the post-Covid-19 pandemic period.
According to Bakhtiar, umrah tour operators had began to advertise umrah travel packages with tour dates starting the end of this year even as the approval to travel to Saudi has yet to be finalised.
Meanwhile, Marzuk also said he expected a rise in the cost for haj pilgrimage next year.
"The increase of the cost includes Covid-19 prevention measures such as swab tests; vaccine doses upon entering the country and physical distancing measures in the bus, hotels and tents.
"Tabung Haji will inform the public on cost of the 2022 haj when it has been finalised," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to Rubiah Awang (GPS-Kota Samarahan) who asked if there will be a price increase in haj pilgrimage for next year.