MAKKAH: Malaysian haj pilgrims’ politeness and high discipline, as well as orderly management, are among the factors behind the country’s selection in the Makkah Route programme.
Malaysian Haj Delegation head, Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman, said that to make it even more special, Malaysia had carved its own history when it became the only country chosen by the Saudi Arabian government when the programne was first implemented.
He said that this year, only five countries were selected for the special programme, namely Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
“If we look at the history of the Makkah Route, it was introduced as a pilot project in 2017 and Malaysia was the only country selected then.
The success of the pilot project allowed Malaysia to continue in the programme in the following years until now. Saudi Arabia now chooses only five countries out of hundreds of other countries that send their pilgrims,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters at Abraj Al Janadriyah which houses the headquarters of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) and haj pilgrims, here.
According to Syed Saleh, the Saudi Arabian government also seems comfortable in dealing with TH because the agency is able to act directly in haj-related matters; the existing management system also facilitates the implementation of the Makkah Route.
He added that the ability of the pilgrims to understand the basic instructions in Arabic and English is also a contributing factor to the selection of Malaysia, compared with other countries.
“The Ministry of Haj and the Saudi Arabian government have a very close relationship with TH and Malaysia ... this also makes it easier for them to deal with us and we will together refine and improve this system before it is expanded to several other countries,” he said.
The initiative of the programme is seen as successful in facilitating the movement of pilgrims, including those involving immigration and customs at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and airports in Madinah and Jeddah.
Upon arrival, Malaysian haj pilgrims will continue to board buses, either in Madinah or Makkah, and their luggage will be managed by the agency in Saudi Arabia to be delivered to their respective accommodation.
In another development, the third hotel which houses Malaysian pilgrims, Qasr Aljanadriyah, was opened last night, welcoming the arrival of 287 pilgrims from Madinah.
The other two accommodations for Malaysian pilgrims are at the Abraj Al Janadriyah and Land Premium, all of which have various facilities including a TH management office, Bank Islam, clinic services, pharmacy and cafe.
As of last night, a total of 2,227 pilgrims have arrived in Makkah, while 2,730 are still in Madinah.
A total of 14,306 Malaysian pilgrims will perform the haj pilgrimage this year via 48 flights, the last of which is on July 2.-Bernama
