Kuala lumpur: Malaysia has further cemented its reputation as a global benchmark for haj management after Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) successfully retained the Labbaitom Award for a fifth consecutive year. TH continued its strong performance by defending the Diamond Award for a second time for the 1447H/2026 haj season, the highest recognition conferred by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Haj and Umrah to the world's leading haj management institutions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Zulkifli Hasan, said the achievement was a testament to the continued relevance, competitiveness, and international recognition of Malaysia's haj management model. He highlighted that the award represented not only recognition for TH but also for the entire Malaysian haj management ecosystem developed over decades. This ecosystem encompasses preparations before departure, management in the Holy Land, welfare and medical aspects, worship guidance, and services upon the pilgrims' return home.
Zulkifli noted that the culture of continuous improvement practised by TH after every haj season was among the factors contributing to its continued success. He emphasized that feedback from pilgrims and staff would be evaluated to ensure weaknesses were addressed and the evolving needs of pilgrims were met. He stated that TH never considered its system to be perfect and conducted comprehensive post-mortems after each haj season to identify areas for improvement, enabling them to maintain a world-recognised level of service.
Furthermore, Zulkifli mentioned that TH had introduced various innovations, including the use of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI)-based applications, to facilitate faster access to information for pilgrims and improve operational efficiency in the Holy Land. The success was also attributed to the high discipline of Malaysian pilgrims, who consistently adhered to the rules and gave full cooperation to TH officials throughout the haj season.
Zulkifli expressed appreciation to the Saudi Arabian Government, particularly Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Minister of Haj and Umrah Dr Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabiah, for the various transformations implemented in haj management. He acknowledged the reforms carried out by Saudi Arabia, which greatly assisted TH in providing the best possible service to Malaysian pilgrims.
The Labbaitom Award is an annual accolade presented by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Haj and Umrah to haj managers from around the world in recognition of outstanding performance in haj management.