KUALA LUMPUR: The Haj Preparation Plan – Seruan Istito'ah aims to strengthen financial preparedness among prospective pilgrims and ensure they meet the financial requirements to perform the pilgrimage.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said the initiative reflected the original vision behind the establishment of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), conceived by the late Royal Professor Ungku Aziz, which emphasised financial discipline and early planning.
"This is precisely the spirit we are upholding: instilling financial discipline and encouraging prospective haj pilgrims to plan ahead so they can gradually build up their financial capacity.
"This is in line with the aspirations behind TH's establishment, as envisioned by Ungku Aziz, and the Islamic requirement that haj is obligatory only for those who are financially capable," he said during the winding-up session on the 2027 Supply Bill in the Dewan Rakyat.
Earlier, several opposition MPs called on the government to reconsider the RM15,000 minimum savings requirement under Seruan Istito'ah. They also raised concerns that existing depositors on the haj waiting list could lose their places if they failed to meet the threshold.
Among those who raised the issue were Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian) and Datuk Idris Ahmad (PN-Bagan Serai).
Under the initiative, depositors with a minimum savings balance of RM15,000 will automatically qualify to join the haj waiting list without having to register manually.
Existing depositors who have already registered for haj have until Dec 31, 2028, to meet the minimum savings requirement.
Addressing claims that TH operates like a bank, Zulkifli said the institution was bound by the mandate set out in the Tabung Haji Act, which defines its responsibilities and obligations.
"TH will continue to act in accordance with and comply with its mandate and will not undertake activities beyond that mandate," he said.
He added that the RM15,000 minimum savings balance remained eligible for annual profit distributions, allowing depositors to benefit from TH's profit-sharing arrangements while preparing for haj.
Earlier, Idris said TH should not operate like a bank, adding that it was not a commercial banking institution.
"When you deposit RM15,000, how much profit can you generate from it? This reflects the mindset of bankers, who focus on profitability.
"But we need to return to the original spirit behind TH's establishment. What was its founding principle? It was to help people in rural communities," he said.
Zulkifli said TH's experience had shown that many prospective pilgrims were inadequately prepared, with more than 50 per cent of those offered places requesting to defer their pilgrimage.
"This situation affects the efficiency of haj allocation and queue management, requiring TH to issue replacement offers repeatedly within a short period," he said.
He added that the initiative was also consistent with recommendations by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), which proposed increasing the muassasah registration amount and raising the minimum qualifying deposit to reflect current costs.
"Do the Honourable Members of the House disagree with the RCI's recommendations, when this is the spirit we are seeking to uphold?" he said.
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