The Prime Minister is urged to use his relationship with the Saudi Arabia royal family to increase the annual Haj quota

Rafizi: Use close ties with Saudi royalty to increase Haj quota

BY D KANYAKUMARI

THE STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister is urged to use his relationship with the Saudi Arabia royal family to increase the annual Haj quota for Malaysians.

Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli  said the current quota of 22,000 pilgrims a year was unreasonable considering the huge number of people waiting for the opportunity to perform the pilgrimage.

Rafizi said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should negotiate with the Saudi royalty to possibly increase the numbers to 50,000 a year.

"He is close to the royal family so I am sure he can work something out.

"That way we can cut down the waiting period from 70 years to 35 years," he told a press conference at Parliament House.

Rafizi said data from Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) showed over two million people registered to perform the Haj.

Rafizi said he had also questioned Minister in the Prime Minister's DepartmentDatuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom in parliament  on the necessity to wait up to 70 years to perform the Haj.