380 M'sian Hajj Pilgrims Stranded At KLIA After Being Scammed By Travel Agency
Police said the owner of the travel company is now a suspect in the case.
By Sabrina Zainal — 08 Jul 2022, 01:38 PM
About 380 would-be Hajj pilgrims were left stranded at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday morning, 7 July, after they were believed to have been cheated by a travel agency
The group were spotted gathering at Level 5 at the airport's departure hall, photos of which have gone viral on social media.
According to Bernama, the prospective pilgrims are believed to have used the furada visa – a private visa issued by Saudi Arabia, without involving the quota allocated to Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH).
The pilgrims were initially supposed to depart for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at 4.30pm, but they were later told by the travel agency that their flight had been postponed to 7pm.
However, upon checking, they discovered that the last flight to Jeddah was actually at about 6pm.
The group also claimed the agency had never shown their flight tickets and visas to perform the Hajj.
The victims each paid thousands of ringgit to go to Mecca, with one woman even forking out RM76,000 of her savings to fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam with her husband, reported Bernama.
"Until now, we have not gotten our passports back because they are still being held by the travel agency," said 59-year-old Jamilah, who hails from Terengganu.
A representative of the travel agency allegedly responsible for the scam met with the group at KLIA, but no real explanation was provided for the issue
Photos circulated online show the individual believed to be from UC Travel Sdn Bhd, surrounded by the congregation seeking an explanation.
It is unclear what position the man holds in the travel agency, but some netizens allege that he is Agus Rizal Mat, the chief executive officer (CEO) of UC Travel.
He can be seen speaking to the crowd of pilgrims at KLIA while police officers stood nearby.
However, pilgrims were reportedly dissatisfied with the company's explanation of the matter in question, reported Bernama.
17 police reports against UC Travel have been lodged from yesterday until 4.30am today, 8 July, by victims in the alleged cheating case
KLIA district police chief ACP Imran Abd Rahman told Astro Awani that police have interviewed the owner of the travel company, who is now a suspect in the case.
"Yesterday (7 July), we interviewed him to get the story, as a result of this report we will conduct an investigation into whether there is any element of deception," he stated, adding that the report does not only involve KLIA, but also other locations in Klang Valley, including Setapak and Kajang.
The case is being probed under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which provides for a jail term of up to 10 years, whipping, and a fine, if convicted.
