Singapore quota of Haj places

Question

Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether the current quota of 680 pilgrims per annum is enough to meet the increasing demand of Singaporean Muslims who wish to perform Haj; and (b) how has MUIS allocated the additional 136 places given for Haj this year. 

Response

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: Singapore has been allocated 680 places for Haj per annum. This is based on 0.1% of our total Muslim population, as decided by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in 1987. However, demand from Singaporean Muslims has been growing every year given the changing demographics and the rising affluence of Singapore society. 

In view of this, I had requested to increase Singapore's Haj quota from 680 to 800 at the Annual Haj Ministerial Meeting in Saudi Arabia in February this year. The 800 figure is based on 0.1% of the approximately 800,000 resident Muslims in Singapore, which is 15% out of Singapore's total population of 5.31million.

Singapore's quota for this year was originally reduced to 544. We understand from the Saudi government that this was part of the reduction of the global quota to ensure the safety and well-being of pilgrims given the extensive construction which is currently taking place around the Grand Mosque in Mecca. We are grateful that the Saudi authorities had on appeal restored Singapore's quota of 680 for this year's Haj. This restoration is significant to us as it has enabled another 136 Singaporeans to perform the Haj this year. 

The MUIS' Pilgrimage Committee chaired by veteran Council member, Haji Shafawi Ahmad, was tasked to decide on the allocation of the 136 places. The Committee decided that these places would be filled by those on its appeal list this year and also by those in the MUIS' Advanced Haj Registration System based on the sequence of their registration number. All of the 136 places have been allocated and taken up.