BY ELLISIA TINGASS
KUCHING: The recent announcement that Muslims from the T20 group who perform the haj are not eligible for subsidies have received mixed public reaction.
Recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Awnar Ibrahim said the government will no longer provide subsidies to Muslims from the higher-income (T20) group to perform the haj, and instead the subsidy will be reserved for those in the M40 and B40 (middle and lower-income) groups.
This means that Muslims who fall under the T20 group will have to bear the full cost of the pilgrimage.
New Sarawak Tribune spoke to several Muslims for their opinion on this matter.
I would like to say that most of those T20 perform haj through the private haj packages. As for me and my husband, we perform haj through the private haj packages which cost us RM30 000 to RM240 000 per person. But, there are also M40 and B40 performing haj through the private haj packages, by utilising their own savings whether it takes 5 years or 10 years to get a huge amount to perform haj, as they want to be comfortable during the haj. So, there will be no problem if there are no subsidies for T20 to perform haj as their income are more, and it is not a burden for them.”
The government’s decision not to continue the subsidies for T20 to perform haj is an important step and mechanism for targeted subsidies, but I think it is good for the government to reconsider their decision partly for those who perform haj for the first time. It is important for the government to show some courtesy to those T20 group who are still in their early T20 income bracket so that they can perform their religious obligation. The government needs to help Muslim to perform the haj regardless of their income, whether they are T20, M40 or B40.”
Indeed, the government has made the right decision to no longer subsidise the T20 group to perform haj. This is because they comprise the group with the highest salary in Malaysia and this indirectly proves that they have no limitations on money and economic constraints. So, the M40 and B40 are those who are worthy to get the subsidies to perform haj as some of them have low salary.
I agree with the decision of our prime minister to not provide subsidies for the T20 group to perform haj. This is because they are financially stable compared to those in the M40 and B40 groups. But, if some of those in the T20 group think that they are worthy of the subsidy, then they should analyse their income and compare it with those in the M40 and B40 groups.”
