Anyone found to have falsified information to get on the poverty registry to secure a spot on the State-funded Hajj pilgrimage programme will be stripped of the opportunity, the government has warned.
A draw to select 50 individuals for the State-funded Hajj pilgrimage was conducted at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry, this year’s selection process was carried out from a pool of 302 eligible candidates listed under the Maldives Zakat House’s poverty registry, which was reviewed in December 2024.
However, there has been some concern that some of the people selected for this year’s programme had falsified information to get on the poverty registry.
Responding to the concerns, the Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said the government will conduct further assessments of the selected candidates to ensure that they had not falsified information to get included in the poverty registry.
Anyone found to have committed such fraud will be stripped of the opportunity, Minister Dr Shaheem warned.
While 50 individuals were chosen to embark on the sacred journey to Mecca in 1446 under government sponsorship, ten substitutes were also selected in case any of the selected individuals are unable to attend the pilgrimage for any reason.
The eligibility criteria for selection included being between the ages of 50 and 70, not having performed the obligatory Hajj before, and being in good health to undertake the journey.
This initiative aligns with a pledge made by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu during his presidential campaign.
On 18 August, 2023, while addressing the people of Mulaku, Meemu Atoll, President Muizzu pledged to send 1,000 impoverished individuals on the Hajj pilgrimage under government sponsorship during his first term. The first batch of 50 pilgrims was sent on the Hajj pilgrimage last year.
The Maldives receives 1,000 Hajj quotas from Saudi Arabia every year, with the Maldives Hajj Corporation being the only group providing Hajj services. This year’s Hajj Day falls on June 5.