KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 12): Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin urged the government and Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) to review the RM15,000 minimum savings requirement for eligibility to join the haj queue.

Hamzah argued on Monday that the requirement could burden depositors who need cash for daily expenses, even if they own other assets. He said depositors could own land or hold wealth outside TH, and that their account balances did not necessarily reflect their ability to finance the pilgrimage.

“Many villagers have assets, including land. They can afford to put in RM1,300 to join the haj queue. But if they are asked to put in RM15,000 at once, they may need that money for their daily expenses,” Hamzah said while debating Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat. 

“That is why I am asking Tabung Haji to review this.”

On Sept 11, TH introduced its new Seruan Istito’ah haj readiness plan, under which depositors automatically qualify to join the haj queue upon meeting the RM15,000 minimum savings requirement, replacing the previous manual registration process.

However, depositors who had already registered for haj have until Dec 31, 2028, to build their savings to that level. From Jan 1, 2029, queue eligibility will be adjusted based on registration dates and compliance with the minimum balance requirement.

Hamzah called for greater compassion in policymaking, arguing that many depositors had placed RM1,300 with TH primarily to secure their place in the queue.

“As a government, we need compassion. We must have humane governance,” he said.

TH has previously said the changes were intended to encourage more consistent savings and improve prospective pilgrims’ financial readiness. The fund said nearly half of depositors who received haj offers in previous years had deferred their pilgrimage. After the RM15,000 minimum balance requirement was introduced in 2025 for receiving a haj offer, the deferment rate fell to 18%, according to TH.

TH said RM15,000 corresponded to the current minimum haj payment for the B40 group, compared with the full pilgrimage cost of RM33,300 per person.

The fund said it would retain the first-come, first-served principle, subject to depositors meeting the savings requirement. From January 2029, depositors who meet the threshold could move ahead of those who fail to reach it by the end of 2028, according to TH’s website.

To support the plan, TH introduced its Multi Tabung facility on Sept 19, comprising Tabung Am and Tabung Istito’ah within a single TH account.

Tabung Am serves everyday savings and withdrawal needs, while Tabung Istito’ah sets aside funds for haj preparation. Depositors retain their existing account numbers.

For depositors who previously registered using the RM1,300 savings requirement, that amount is transferred to Tabung Istito’ah, while the remaining savings stay in Tabung Am. They have until Dec 31, 2028, to bring their combined savings across both accounts to at least RM15,000 to retain their existing haj queue eligibility.

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