TANJONG MALIM: The government will help bring home 36 umrah pilgrims reportedly stranded in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said. Zulkifli said he had received information about the incident and was verifying the details. Local media earlier reported that 36 Malaysian Umrah pilgrims were stranded in Madinah because they did not have return flight tickets, and urged their travel agency to expedite arrangements. On this year's haj quota, Zulkifli said Malaysia was still awaiting a response from the Saudi Arabian government regarding its previous request for an additional quota. So far, there has been no response, and we are unsure when approval will be granted," he said.

Source: The Star January 04, 2026 15:35 UTC