Putrajaya stays mum on number of additional haj spots

Putrajaya has decided not to disclose the number of additional pilgrims allowed to perform the haj in the holiest city of Islam following a second appeal for a further quota of 10,000, the results of which should have been made known in May. 

Malaysia was allowed a quota of 31,600 pilgrims for the current haj season, returning the country to its original allocation with a first addition of 350 pilgrims. 

Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Mohd Na'im Mokhtar said Putrajaya had already received Saudi Arabia's decision on its appeal. 

"The additional quota was allowed, but no notification was made out of respect for the wishes of the Saudi Arabian government," he added. 

The quota of pilgrims for each country is calculated at a rate of 0.1% of its total population.

Malaysia applied for the additional quota following an increase in population to 31.95 million. 

The issue of haj quota has been a long-standing topic often raised in meetings between the leaders of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came under fire in March after reports that his three-day official visit to the kingdom ended without a meeting with Saudi King Salman Abdul Aziz or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A Bernama report said the meeting could not take place because the crown prince had a change of plans ahead of the Ramadan month.

Anwar himself expressed regret that he had been unable to meet Mohammed, but was said to have turned down a request by Saudi officials to extend his stay so that a meeting with the crown prince could take place. 

Wisma Putra later said that it had received diplomatic notes confirming Anwar's visit as well as a meeting with the two leaders. 

Saudi Arabia gave Malaysia an additional 10,000 slots after the Covid-19 pandemic following a meeting between then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Mohammed, who is also the kingdom's prime minister.