Kota Kinabalu: Police have urged the public, especially prospective haj pilgrims, to exercise caution and be wary of fraudulent mujamalah or furada visa packages. Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said that some irresponsible travel agencies had been taking advantage of Muslims’ excitement to fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 1446H or 2025 Haj season will begin in about three months. Authorities believe there will be fraud attempts involving furada or mujamalah haj visas, as occurred previously. Based on records, 44 haj and umrah fraud cases were investigated in 2024, involving RM890,810.53 in losses. For 2025, as of Feb 2, 17 cases have been recorded, resulting in RM364,620 in losses over the past five weeks.

Ramli explained that Furada and Mujamalah visas, which were issued by the Saudi Arabian government, were only granted to certain groups. These visas are not linked to the official haj quota allocated by the Saudi Arabian government to Malaysia. They are very limited, expensive, and can only be processed at the last minute due to their dependence on the decision of Saudi Arabia, which considers the situation and other factors before granting them.

The uncertainty surrounding the visa process has opened up opportunities for fraud syndicates to exploit those desperate to obtain a haj visa, Ramli noted. To avoid becoming victims of fraud, individuals seeking a furada or mujamalah visa are advised to only deal with trusted agencies, such as Lembaga Tabung Haji.

Additionally, Ramli warned that any claim suggesting a visa would be issued upon arrival in Saudi Arabia was entirely false.