Kuala lumpur: No complaints involving haj fraud cases have been received for this year's haj season so far, but monitoring efforts are being intensified to curb such activities from becoming widespread. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr. Zulkifli Hasan stated that his ministry, in collaboration with the Pilgrims Fund Board (TH) and the Department of Waqf, Zakat, and Haj (JAWHAR), is continuously monitoring the situation to prevent Malaysians from falling victim to irresponsible parties.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zulkifli advised the public to refer to TH for verification if they receive any suspicious offers or information related to haj matters to avoid becoming fraud victims. He made these remarks after officiating the Religious Affairs' Department 2025 Excellent Service Awards ceremony. TH confirmed that no Malaysian pilgrims had been detected using fake visas or detained by Saudi Arabian authorities for attempting to perform the pilgrimage without valid permits or haj visas.
Zulkifli highlighted that this year's haj operations have been running smoothly due to careful planning and continuous improvements by TH. He noted a positive trend as the percentage of prospective pilgrims appealing to postpone their haj journey had shown a significant decline. "As a result of meticulous planning this year, we can see very significant changes and improvements. Among them, the rate of prospective pilgrims postponing their haj has continued to decline to a very encouraging percentage," he remarked.
In his speech, Zulkifli emphasized the importance of civil servants, particularly those in the Religious Affairs' Department, cultivating critical thinking in their duties in line with technological and Artificial Intelligence (AI) era challenges. He argued that transformation in the civil service should not only rely on technological adaptation but also involve changes in work culture, behavior, and thinking.
Moreover, Zulkifli urged civil servants to reassess personal and organizational approaches to strengthen the quality of service delivery to the people. He referenced Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's book, 'Rethinking Ourselves', which encourages society to re-evaluate its way of thinking for a better future.