By Anas Abu Hassan
SINGAPORE, April 8 (Bernama) -- Singapore’s Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said preparations for the 2026 haj season are proceeding as planned with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) closely monitoring the latest developments in West Asia.
He said MUIS remains in close contact with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Haj and Umrah regarding the arrangements and is working closely with the Association of Muslim Travel Agents Singapore (AMTAS) to support pilgrims for a safe haj journey.
“These include using direct flights to and from Saudi Arabia, choosing ground transport options less susceptible to disruption, and closer coordination of pilgrims' movements in Medina, Makkah, and Jeddah.
“MUIS is also developing contingency plans with AMTAS and Haj travel agents to plan for potential travel disruptions and unforeseen incidents during the pilgrimage,” he said, adding that the safety and welfare of Singaporean pilgrims remain the utmost priority.
Muhammad Faishal was speaking in Parliament during the oral question and answer session on Wednesday.
He noted that should the haj arrangement be cancelled or disrupted on a short notice, affected pilgrims will be given priority in the next season, subject to annual quota allocated by Saudi Arabia.
Singapore has been allocated 900 places for this year’s haj, which will take place in late May.
“This year we will work closely with AMTAS to allow the affected pilgrims to defer to the subsequent haj seasons.
“MUIS will work with the travel agents and the Saudi-based service providers to explore possible refunds, given the situation,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
