Kuala Lumpur: Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) has urged haj pilgrims to ensure their TH Debit-i cards are activated before embarking on their journey to the Holy Land, facilitating seamless cash withdrawals during their pilgrimage.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, TH Financial Operations director, Shamsul Bahar Shamsudin, emphasized the necessity of activating the cards for overseas transactions to avoid any inconvenience. Shamsul highlighted that numerous complaints have been received from pilgrims who failed to activate their cards while still in Malaysia. To address this issue, Bank Islam has established a special counter at the departure hall of the Movenpick Convention Centre KLIA in Sepang to aid pilgrims in card activation.

Shamsul assured that the exchange rates offered are competitive, and pilgrims will not incur transaction fees. He explained that while local banks typically charge foreign transaction fees ranging from 10 to 15 Saudi Riyals (approximately RM11.50 to RM17.18) per withdrawal, Bank Islam will cover these fees entirely, alleviating any additional financial burden on pilgrims.

Furthermore, Shamsul revealed that TH has documented 374 cases concerning ATM card issues among Malaysian pilgrims as of May 7. These issues include overseas card activation, card loss, card damage, and PIN problems. He advised pilgrims who lose their ATM cards to promptly report to the TH counter, where the lost card will be cancelled, and a new one issued. If a card is lost outside of operating hours, pilgrims are advised to inform staff at their accommodation for assistance.

Shamsul urged haj pilgrims to be vigilant with their ATM cards during their time in the Holy Land to prevent loss, damage, or misuse.