Weigh move to go on Mid-East holy trip: Yaacob

Singaporean Muslims planning to go on the umrah, or minor pilgrimage, should weigh their decision because it may affect the health of people here, given the Mers virus, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim yesterday.

He added that he understood the aspirations of the community to perform the umrah and haj as some have made extensive preparations and advance bookings.

However, he urged: "If you can postpone it, because maybe you have other opportunities in future, please give it some thought.

"We must not forget that this is not just about our health but about the entire community because if you bring back the virus, it can affect other people in Singapore."

Mers-COV, short for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, causes acute respiratory illness in infected patients. So far, no cases of Mers have been found here but Saudi Arabia has had 305 Mers cases and 61 deaths as of Wednesday.

Dr Yaacob said having Muslims leave for the umrah is "an area of concern" because 40 of the 48 suspected local cases of the virus were from pilgrims who went for the umrah. All tested negative.

Yesterday, the Association of Muslim Travel Agents of Singapore said it has not received any cancellation from pilgrims so far. It expects about 2,000 to 3,000 bookings for June, typically the peak period for pilgrims because of the school holidays. Some will also want to fast during Ramadan next month in the holy land.

"We've been through all kinds of sicknesses," said its honorary secretary Mohamed Roslan Jaafar, referring to the H1N1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) crises when many Muslims carried on with pilgrimage plans.

"Everybody still wants to go. This is not a holiday, it is a spiritual journey."

Dr Yaacob encouraged these pilgrims to take the necessary precautions, as laid out in travel advisories issued by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and the Health Ministry, such as going for vaccinations and avoiding contact with camels.

Regarding a reported delay in getting the visas for umrah, Dr Yaacob said Singapore is waiting for direction from the Saudi authorities, who will have to balance the demand for visas against "the greater interest of all the pilgrims that are coming into the holy land".

When asked if Singapore is making early preparations should the Mers situation persist until the haj season in September and October, Dr Yaacob said he has already asked Muis to map out the various scenarios so that the country will be prepared.

Some Muslims who have signed up for the minor pilgrimage are not worried.

Madam Megar Nishah, 54, who went on the umrah in March and will go on a second pilgrimage next month, said: "I have all my vaccinations, and I'll be going in a group," she said.

Leisure travellers to the Middle East, however, are more cautious.

Dynasty Travel's director of marketing communications Alicia Seah said the agency has received no inquiries for trips to Dubai so far. "It's not common," she said, adding that companies often book retreats to the region for their staff in May or June.

"Last year, there were at least four or five groups, or about 200 people," she said. "But this year there are no enquiries for this destination at all," she said, adding that the drop could be in part because Dubai is very hot for this period.

Muis issued an advisory on Thursday urging pilgrims to ensure they are medically fit before departing and observe good hygiene at all times while overseas.

The Health Ministry also announced that air travellers arriving from Mers-affected Middle East countries, including hot spots Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will have their temperature screened from tomorrow.

This article was published on May 17 in The Straits Times.

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