Isu Tabungan Orang Melayu dalam Sejarah Pengerjaan Haji Era Kapal Laut (The Issue of Savings by Malays in The History of Pilgrimage during the Sea Transportation Era)

Abstract

This article aims to study the aspect of savings by Malays for the purpose of undertaking the pilgrimage during the era of sea transportation. The resultant problems following poor financial preparedness to fulfil the fifth tenets of Islam among the Malays have attracted administrators and Malay intellectuals since the 1930s. Criticisms have been levelled against traditional mode of saving that led Malays who intended to go for the pilgrimage being dragged into indebtedness. Some scholars even claim the hajj was one of the cause of Malay poverty. This study utilised the qualitative method by looking at primary sources like the Report of the Pilgrims Economic Welfare Committee, files from the Office of the State Secretary and the Office of the British Adviser. The study found out, other than the traditional mode of savings which is unprofitable, the problem of insufficient fund to go for the pilgrimage or fund insufficiency while in the holy land was also caused by other issues like currency depreciation, the lack of uniformity in the use of foreign currency, and poor guidance from the government with regards financial preparedness of pilgrims from Malaya