TN to Process 5,000 Haj Proxies

From Elmi Rizal Elias MAKKAH, Aug 2 (Bernama) -- Tabung Haji (TH), Malaysia's Pilgrims Fund Board, is working to ensure that the 5,000 requests for proxy haj from Malaysians will be performed during the 1438 Hijrah haj season this year. Director of Operations (Haj Guidance) Tengku Aziz Raja Abdullah said so far, 3,700 Makkah residents had been approved as proxies in open interviews conducted for three days from July 27 at the TH Makkah Headquarters at the Abraj AlJanadriyah Hotel. "For the remaining 1,300 proxies, we will be conducting interviews on Sunday and Monday (Aug 6 and 7),” he said at a press conference held at the TH Makkah headquarters here Tuesday. A haj proxy is a person (either a family member or not) who performs the haj for a person who is unable to do so due to incurable illness, is too old, or has died, whereas he can afford it but did not have the opportunity to do so when he was alive. Tengku Aziz said during the haj season this year, TH had set 5,000 haj proxies for Malaysians. He said in order to ensure the haj is performed, TH would make two payments to the proxies, with SR1,000 paid after the appointment and the remaining SR1,400 after Wukuf Day after the pilgrimage is performed. The Day of Arafah or Wukuf Day is the climax of the haj pilgrimage. “Those who qualify as haj proxies must go through an interview to ensure that they know the conditions and requirements of the haj,” he said. Tengku Aziz also advised Malaysians who want to appoint haj proxies to ensure that they are really capable of doing the job.(photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA