Scammed haj pilgrims endure days of danger to reach Makkah

New Straits Times

14-06-2025

JOHOR BARU: Forty-seven Malaysian senior citizens endured a harrowing journey to Makkah — trekking across rocky hills, deserts, highways, and barbed wire fences — after falling prey to a haj scam linked to a well-known religious figure.
Lured by sweet promises, the pilgrims found themselves in a dire situation upon arriving in Jeddah.
Without valid haj visas and under strict enforcement by the Saudi authorities, they were forced to travel on foot through dangerous and undocumented routes in a desperate attempt to reach Makkah.
Among the victims were the parents and aunt of Sharifah Azzahra, who said they left Malaysia on May 9 as part of the agent's group, completely unaware of the nightmare that awaited them.
She said the elderly pilgrims were shocked to learn upon arriving in Jeddah that they would not be allowed into Makkah, as none of them had official haj visas.
"I was horrified when my 64-year-old mother, 63-year-old father, and 54-year-old aunt told me via WhatsApp that they were forced to walk along dangerous routes to avoid detection by Saudi authorities, carrying only bare essentials, without food or water.
"Their luggage had been left behind at various points.
"These elderly pilgrims were also split into small groups to reduce the risk of being detected. They were not accompanied by the eight agent representatives assigned to the group and were not given any safety briefing.
"To make matters worse, once they reached Makkah, my parents and aunt, along with the rest of the group, were locked up in a small room. They were not allowed to go out, had limited access to food, and no proper medical care.
"They were also subjected to psychological manipulation through religious lectures to discourage them from reacting or lodging complaints," she said when contacted.
Following the ordeal, Sharifah Azzahra lodged a police report over the abuse and fraud at the Ukay Perdana police station in Ampang, Selangor, yesterday evening.
She said that some of the elderly pilgrims suffered from chronic illnesses that required medication, including insulin, which had been left in luggage elsewhere.
The group was asked to pay an additional 8,000 Riyals (RM9,058) to have someone retrieve the bags.
"This is especially disheartening because most of them had already paid over RM30,000 each to perform the haj with this agent.
"My mother told me all the pilgrims were housed in a single accommodation in Makkah and instructed not to leave the premises.
"They were packed tightly into one cramped room to avoid detection by the Saudi authorities."
She said the food provided was pitiful as it was not only insufficient but also poorly prepared, with undercooked rice and two pieces of chicken had to be shared among five or more people and instant noodles being the only other meal option.
She said her parents also informed her that some pilgrims attempted to escape but gave up because they had no legal documents, no knowledge of their whereabouts, and no idea where to go.
However, during their journey to Arafah, the group was eventually detained by Saudi authorities.
She said that prior to departure, the agent had instructed all pilgrims to remain silent if detained and to claim they had travelled independently.