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SEPANG: It was a disappointment for 26 Malaysians who flew into Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport last Monday when they were denied entry into the kingdom to perform their haj pilgrimage, allegedly because their furada (private) haj visa was false.
“When my passport was scanned, the image that appeared on the screen was the face of a different person,” said Sabariah Osman, in her 60s, who was among the 26 Malaysians.
She was met upon arrival at the KL International Airport here today after being flown back from Jeddah yesterday.
“I paid RM33,000 for the haj package, but it’s all Allah’s will that things turned out this way,” she said.
Sabariah, who is from Penang, said upon landing at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, she proceeded to the Immigration counter and was told by an officer there that the image on her visa was of a different person.
“The officer also asked for my date of birth as my personal particulars are not the same as stated in my visa,” she added.
Sabariah said she asked a few other pilgrims in the group, and was told that they, too, faced the same problem.
She thanked the Malaysian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and also Tabung Haji for the assistance provided while the group was stranded at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that 36 other Malaysians who had taken this season’s haj package with the same tour company are stranded at KLIA as there was no flight ticket and haj visa for them.
One of them, Siti Esah Hussain, 65, said she only knew about it last Monday.
“I was already here (KLIA) since Monday as the company said it is a last minute (visa) offer under King Salman’s quota for 20 people, but with an extra charge of RM7,000.
“I was told about it (visa offer) last Saturday, and without giving it much though, made the payment,” she said, adding that she would lodge a police report if the company failed to refund her. — Bernama
