Madinah: The government will facilitate the return of 36 Umrah pilgrims who are reportedly stranded in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, as confirmed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr. Zulkifli Hasan. Zulkifli stated that he has received information regarding the incident and is in the process of verifying the details.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, local media had earlier reported that the 36 Malaysian Umrah pilgrims were left stranded due to not having return flight tickets. The pilgrims have urged their travel agency to expedite the necessary arrangements for their return.

On the topic of this year's haj quota, Zulkifli mentioned that Malaysia is still awaiting feedback from the Saudi Arabian government concerning its previous request for an increased quota. He emphasized that the decision regarding any increase in the quota is entirely at the discretion of the Saudi Arabian government. So far, there has been no response, and the timeline for approval remains uncertain.

Zulkifli was previously cited as stating that the government anticipates a rise in the number of Malaysian haj pilgrims in the future compared to the current quota of 31,600, which has been allocated by Saudi Arabia. Malaysia has officially submitted a request for an additional quota to accommodate more pilgrims.