Ministry of Religious Affairs has postponed the opening of applications for the government Hajj scheme by a single day, moving the start date from today to Tuesday, August 18.
The delay affects only the intake schedule, with all other terms of the scheme remaining unchanged.
Under the government scheme, a total of 107,556 pilgrims will be accommodated this year. The private Hajj scheme has been assigned a 40 percent share of the overall quota, amounting to 71,684 pilgrims, in line with the annual quota distribution policy.
Eligibility for the government scheme remains restricted to pilgrims who are already registered with the ministry. New applicants will not be able to apply through this channel.
Once applications open, eligible pilgrims can submit their forms and deposit the required fees either through the online portal of the ministry or at authorised bank branches.
Payment of Hajj expenses under the scheme will be accepted in two equal installments rather than a single lump sum, a structure intended to ease the financial burden on applicants.
The ministry has also reiterated that applications will be processed strictly on a first come, first served basis, meaning submissions will close automatically once the quota is filled, regardless of the application deadline.
Officials have not cited a specific reason for the one-day delay, though such adjustments are not uncommon in the early stages of the application window.
