During the recent Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting, the increasing cost of haj pilgrimage was brought up and a call was made for the authorities to consider acquiring more properties in Makkah and Madinah to accommodate local pilgrims.
As someone who recently performed the haj pilgrimage, I was shocked to learn that the cheapest package this year is BND19,000, a BND6,000 increase from last year. As a result, some of my friends have withdrawn from the pilgrimage in June, opting to wait until it becomes more affordable.
Perhaps it is high time to consider the suggestion made during the LegCo meet, to bring down the cost to ensure more locals are able to perform the pilgrimage.
Peanut Man
