Haj waiting period could fall from 150 years to below 70

KUALA LUMPUR: The haj waiting period could be more than halved, from about 150 years to less than 70, under the Haj Preparation Plan – Seruan Istito'ah.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said the projected reduction was based on current estimates by Lembaga Tabung Haji, but could change depending on several factors.

"This depends on several factors, including the number of depositors who meet the prescribed minimum savings requirement, Malaysia's official haj quota in the future and developments in the Holy Land.

"Depositors who had already registered for haj would be given a transition period of more than two years, until Dec 31, 2028, to meet the minimum savings requirement of RM15,000.

"From Jan 1, 2029, the haj waiting list will be systematically and automatically reorganised according to registration dates among depositors who have achieved the minimum savings threshold," he said in a written parliamentary reply.

Zulkifli was responding to Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (Pas-Kuala Krai), who asked about the actual waiting period for depositors who had reached the RM15,000 minimum savings threshold, as well as the status of those who had registered long ago but had yet to accumulate the required amount.

Zulkifli said depositors who had registered but had yet to meet the RM15,000 requirement would be included in the active haj waiting list once they fulfilled the savings requirement.