Two hundred and twelve pilgrims who were scheduled to leave on August 28, 2015 for Saudi Arabia were affected, as were a further 157 pilgrims who had expected to depart on 3 September. The administrative delays were attributed by pilgrims to teething problems associated with the Hajj e-system in KSA, the NCMF said in a statement, though it took pains to clarify that the Saudi Embassy should not be blamed. The NCMF subsequently made arrangements for hotel accommodation and helped the pilgrims to re-book flights to Saudi Arabia.
Some of the pilgrims thought they would not be able to perform Hajj this year, despite having paid the prescribed fees, the NCMF noted. "Except for certain pilgrims who are yet to complete their documentation requirements, the NCMF is optimistic that our pilgrims will be able to join this year's Hajj and enable them to perform the religious journey as prescribed for Muslims who are physically fit for the journey," Yasmin Busran-Lao, Secretary, NCMF noted.
The NCMF has found that the pilgrims' authorised agents might have erred in purchasing tickets of appropriate timing, which in turn led to delays in getting the visas from KSA. "It must be emphasised that under the enabling law of the NCMF intending pilgrims to Makkah, Saudi Arabia are accorded free choice of travel agencies and airline firms to patronise and utilise for their travel. Thus, the cost of round-trip air tickets to and from Saudi Arabia are being given by the pilgrims directly to their sheiks, unlike under the defunct Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA), the immediate predecessor of the Commission, where payments (or air fare) were being deposited to the Hajj account opened specifically for the purpose," Busran-Lao said.
As the NCMF does not have control of the funds for Hajj travel, it does not have "the authority to devise and adopt criteria in the selection and accreditation of qualified travel agencies and reliable airline companies", not the authority "to regulate also the procurement of tickets and ensure that the money collected from pilgrims were to be used for the specific purpose of buying tickets of pilgrims who paid for it," Busran-Lao added.
The NCMF will launch an investigation into the problem, determine cause and actions, as well as provide appropriate assistance to pilgrims who might have been duped by their agents, Busran-Lao said.