“Orang nak bawa saya pergi ke Mekah, kenapa saya nak tolak. Saya pergi ke Mekah, jarang belanja saya sendiri. Orang tolong bayar. Semua orang berebut (untuk membiaya saya ke Mekah).”
Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat admits receiving sponsorship worth RM65,000 to perform his pilgrimage to Mecca. However, he opined that it was not tantamount to graft. (Source: Nik Aziz akui dibiaya tunai haji, selipar pun ‘dicuri’ orang, Sinar Harian as cited in The Malaysian Insider, 11 Nov 2009)
“[It was] normal for people to spend money so that tok guru (religious teachers) in Kelantan could perform the haj.”
Nik Abdul Aziz’s son-in-law Abdul Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman refutes allegations of graft against the PAS spiritual adviser. (Source: Okay to sponsor tok guru, says Nik Aziz’s son-in-law, The Star, 15 Nov 2009)
“I have decided not to go because a newspaper highlighted the story about me accepting the sponsorship and other matters. Although I yearn to carry out my pious duties there, it’s okay. I wish all those going to Mecca to make full use of the opportunity and do good. It’s okay if I am not sponsored. I am not hard-up because I have my own money and the (state) government can also give me money.”
Nik Abdul Aziz cancels his trip. However, he said he would perform the pilgrimage again next year, with or without sponsorship. The PAS leader, who is said to be under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, labelled the people who had maligned him over the trip as Quraisy who would be “answerable to God”. (Source: Nik Aziz cancels trip to Mecca, The Star, 14 Nov 2009)
“Some Muslim friends tell me that it is all right to pay for the pilgrimage to the Holy Land of a Tok Guru or religious teacher or someone of high religious standing such as the mosque imam. Of course, the problem is that Nik Aziz is the chief executive of the state with vested executive powers or at least yields enough influence to decide the outcome of tenders and executive council deliberations.”
theSun deputy editor (special reports and investigations) Terence Fernandez, writing about the pilgrimage issue in his column. (Source: Expose all questionable gifts, theSun, 17 Nov 2009)
“Komen saya ini bukan berniat menyentuh mana-mana pihak, tetapi mengikut hukum syarak seseorang itu boleh ditaja untuk mengerjakan haji dengan syarat pihak yang menaja tiada kepentingan dan langkah ini tidak membawa fitnah, syak wasangka atau keraguan.
“Walaupun perkara ini dibolehkan, saya berharap semua pihak sedar bahawa langkah terbaik untuk mengerjakan haji ialah menggunakan wang sendiri.”
Johor State Religious Affairs Department advisor Datuk Noh Gadut comments on the pilgrimage issue. He also believes that the sponsored money can be better spent on sending the poor to Mecca instead. (Source: Tegah terima tajaan haji, Utusan Malaysia, 17 Nov 2009) 
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MarinaM says
Nobody seems to have noted that Nik Aziz is already a Haji and therefore has been to Mekkah before. Muslims are obliged to perform the Haj if they are physically and financially able. But there is nothing that says you should do it more than once. Most people save up to have this once-in-a-lifetime trip. But the trend among the rich and among the, um, sponsored, is to go many times. That’s not counting the umrah (small Haj).
We should remember that the Saudi government imposes a quota on every country, based on its population, for how many people can go for the Haj each year. Every person who goes more than once is likely to be depriving a first-timer of a place.
Ahmad says
@MarinaM: There [is] also nothing that says you can’t do it more than once. Also, do you actually know when [was] the last time Nik Aziz went there?
People go to the mosque for many reasons. Some go there because of their faith; they attend for the instrinsic reasons and benefits of their religious beliefs. BUT, there are also others who attend for the extrinsic benefits, to be seen and perceived by others as pious and religious. And yet, nobody [is] able to tell and differentiate one’s real intention.
I’m also wondering, [are] there any similarities or differences, between being “sponsored for a Hajj trip” and “invited to stay on a luxury yacht”? I am not able to answer that question myself.
Ida Bakar says
If this Haji is so pious, why doesn’t he distribute his good fortune and use the money to help other less well-to-do within his state to perform the Haj? Doesn’t he know the carbon footprint to fly there? God is Green after all.
Awareness says
And everyone slammed OTK for taking private jet plane rides! Hahahaahahahaaa … this is so so funny.