KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) received the Platinum Award for its initiative to improve passport management for Malaysian haj pilgrims at the 2026 National Conference on Bureaucratic Red Tape Reform (RKB), organised by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC).
TH said in a statement that the initiative aimed to eliminate the need to retain pilgrims' passports before their departure for the Holy Land, beginning with the 1448H/2027 Haj season, as part of efforts to simplify and streamline service delivery.
TH Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mustakim Mohamad said the initiative would give prospective pilgrims greater flexibility in managing their personal and work commitments while preparing for the haj, as they would no longer need to request the temporary return of their passports from TH.
“Previously, TH retained prospective haj pilgrims' passports for up to 103 days, but the period was reduced to 56 days under a pilot project implemented during the last haj season.
“Full implementation during the 1448H/2027 Haj season will see TH’s passport retention period before pilgrims' departure reduced to zero days,” he said.
Under the new arrangement, prospective haj pilgrims will only be required to submit their passports for verification and clearance on the day of departure, while the number of passport-handling touchpoints has been reduced from five to two, minimising physical handling and repeated verification procedures.
Mustakim said the adoption of digital passport biodata verification and electronic visa management had improved TH’s operational efficiency and would eliminate the need for prospective haj pilgrims to make additional trips to submit or collect their passports.
TH was among 52 Platinum Award recipients selected from 159 projects presented at the conference and was also one of six participating agencies under the Prime Minister's Department.
The conference, held from Oct 28 to 29 at the Selangor International Trade Centre (SITC) in Shah Alam, brought together representatives from 28 ministries and 14 state governments, as well as various agencies and local authorities.
--BERNAMA