More pilgrims demand criminal charges against now-defunct travel agency

 The victims say they received only partial repayments after being left 'stranded' in 2019.

Pilgrims say they spent thousands of ringgit on an umrah journey which never materialised. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 More haj pilgrims have come forward to press for criminal charges against a now-defunct travel agency, claiming they have not been fully compensated for trips to Mecca that never materialised.

The pilgrims claimed they paid thousands of ringgit for tickets to the Holy Land in 2019, but received only partial refunds after being left “stranded”.

An earlier group of 25 pilgrims sued Hajar Sazrul Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd over their failed trip, also in 2019.

In 2024, the Shah Alam High Court ruled that the 25 pilgrims, who had paid a total of RM795,000 for their umrah packages, had successfully proved their claims against the tour agency and ordered the firm to refund them RM634,000.

According to reports, the case involved 15 pilgrims who were left stranded in Jeddah and 10 who never departed.

Earlier this month, a lawyer representing the group urged authorities to pursue criminal charges after the travel agency went out of business.

Khairun Niza Husnin explained that only the travel agency was held legally liable by the court, not its directors or agents.

“In the civil courts, there is nothing more we can do. What can still be done is for the authorities to charge those responsible,” she was reported as saying.

A retiree, who asked not to be identified, claimed that he spent RM42,000 on the trip to Saudi Arabia, which did not take off.

He said the travel agency had assured him verbally that he would receive a full refund if he failed to obtain a visa to travel to Mecca.

“I was only refunded about half of the amount paid,” the 62-year-old told FMT, adding that he received the partial refund only after pressuring the company to return the money so he could perform the umrah the same year.

The retiree, who previously worked at a factory, said he had used up his EPF savings for the trip.

“Even after I came back from my umrah, there were no further refunds,” he said, adding that he did not take the tour agency to court at the time as he did not have sufficient funds.

Meanwhile, a civil servant said she, along with two other family members, also did not get to travel to the Holy Land despite having paid RM62,000 to a travel agency, which she did not name.

She said the tour company returned RM25,000 to her family that same year, but not the remaining RM37,000.

She said she filed three police reports against the agency in 2019, and also brought the matter before the Consumer Claims Tribunal.

The tribunal eventually ruled in her favour, ordering the agency to issue a refund.

However, the agency failed to comply, prompting her to file a non-compliance complaint.

Hamzah Ali, a spokesman for about 40 others who have no legal representation, said he had written to then religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar in January 2024.

According to text messages shared by Hamzah, Na’im said he had instructed the Tabung Haji CEO to look into the matter.

“I was told that TH’s legal team would get in touch with me, but I have not heard from them since,” he said. - FMT