Costs of providing medical and welfare support to Singaporeans on Haj pilgrimages

Question

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether MUIS and the Association of Muslim Travel Agents (AMTAS) receive a portion of the monies paid by pilgrims to their respective general sales agents for the pilgrimage package; and (b) if so, whether pilgrims are informed of this and what is the total amount collected and its proportion in relation to the total sum received in the last three years.

Response

Minister Yaacob Ibrahim: The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) sends a Haj Mission to provide medical and welfare services to Singaporean pilgrims in the Muslim Holy Lands every year. The provision of these services, which include the setting up of medical clinics and the purchase of medicines, is critical for the safety, health and general well-being of our pilgrims.

1. MUIS collects a fee of $300 per pilgrim to help recover the costs of its Haj Mission operations. The payment is included and reflected as 'Medical and Administrative Cost' in the haj package price paid by pilgrims to their respective General Sales Agents. This fee typically comprises a small proportion of the total haj package whose costs range from about $7,000 to $18,000.

2. This fee, on its own, does not fully cover MUIS's costs for medical and welfare services, which has been about $700 per pilgrim in the last three years.