A total of 49 people trying to make their way back to Bali are stuck in Malaysia after doing the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca.
They seem to be stranded because of a disorganized tour provider.
“We arrived today at KLIA2 around 12 pm. But we do not know when we will be flown to Denpasar because there is no decision from the Umrah organizers,” one of the travelers, Umar Faruk, said on Thursday, as quoted by Rima News.
According to Faruk, the trip, organized by the company Mila Tour has been MIA.
“Currently, there are no Umrah organizers assigned here,” he said, adding that the trip through Mila Tours cost them Rp 25 million per person.
The agenda for the trip was only for 12 days, but as of yesterday, it had already stretched on to 17 days—at the extra cost of the travelers.
Another traveler in the group, Umi, said the uncertainty of the situation has been super frustrating and it hasn’t been easy communicating with Mila Tour.
“We’re tired, we want to go home immediately,” she said.
Some members of the group have booked tickets home to Bali independently from the company and have decided to foot the bill, ready to get out of Malaysia. While others have had to borrow money to do so.
“Around 24 people have already bought tickets for themselves and will go to Surabaya tonight,” Umi told Rima.
And to make matters even more exciting, a female participant apparently can’t return home since she’s suspected of contracting the MERS virus and is being examined.
Let’s hope these poor travelers can make it back to Bali soon!
