25 stranded pilgrims to get RM634,000 refund

King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, where 25 Malaysian pilgrims were refused entry in 2019. (FIle pic)

PETALING JAYA: A travel agency has reportedly been ordered to refund RM634,000 to a group of 15 pilgrims who were stranded in Saudi Arabia in 2019 because their visas were forged, and to 10 others who did not receive their e-visas despite having paid in full for the travel package.

The High Court in Shah Alam ordered Hajar Sazrul Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd to settle the outstanding balance of RM634,000 to the 25 former customers, Bernama reported.

They comprised 15 pilgrims who departed for Jeddah after receiving the Furada haj e-visas. However, they were refused entry and were stranded at Jeddah airport because the visas were forged. Ten others had yet to depart as they had not received their e-visas, despite paying in full for the haji packages.

In an online ruling, Justice Alice Loke found in favour of the 25 plaintiffs, concluding that they had successfully proven their claims. The judge dismissed a counterclaim by the travel agency, seeking damages of RM479,350, and ordered the company to pay costs of RM75,000.

The matter was confirmed by the plaintiffs’ lawyer Khairun Niza Husnin.

“Some of the plaintiffs are elderly, no longer employed, have low incomes, and they are only seeking their rights following the breach of contract by the company,” he said.

In the suit, the pilgrims said they had paid a total of RM795,000 for their respective packages, which came with a guarantee of a full refund.

In July 2019, the company informed them that e-visas had been issued for 15 of them, while the remaining 10 were invited to obtain visas through the King Salman visa quota by paying RM7,000 each.

The 15 pilgrims who had received the e-visa left for Jeddah on Aug 5, 2019, but were refused entry on arrival at Jeddah airport because their e-visas displayed different identities. They were detained for 24 hours and forced to sleep on the floor and on chairs, and were ordered to return to Malaysia on Aug 7. They said they were obliged to perform “tahallul ihsar” (penalty) for failing to complete their intended haj pilgrimage.