MAKKAH – Some 31,600 Malaysian haj pilgrims will start leaving this holy city in stages from 7 am (local time) today for the Wukuf in Arafah tomorrow (the 9th of Zulhijjah), which is the culmination of the Haj pilgrimage ritual.
Head of the Malaysian Haj Group Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman said 21 buses were provided for each hostel accommodation to take the Muassasah pilgrims to Arafah, which is about 22 kilometres from Masjidil Haram (Grand Mosque) here.
There will be 179 buses to transport pilgrims under the Pengelola Jemaah Haji (PJH) package, he said, adding that 300 Haj personnel had left earlier to make final preparations to welcome the Malaysian pilgrims.
“After all the pilgrims have moved from Makkah to Arafah, Tabung Haji (TH) will check from room to room at all the pilgrims’ accommodations, as well as in the Grand Mosque, to ensure that no one has been left behind,” he told reporters here today.
He said the TH operation room in Arafah was activated at 4 am (local time) today.
Meanwhile, pilgrims who are undergoing treatment at TH Makkah Treatment Center and the Saudi Arabian Hospital are taken to Arafah for Wukuf in six special buses which are accompanied by an ambulance unit through the Wukuf Safari programme.
After that the pilgrims will move to Muzdalifah for the “mabit” (overnight stay) starting at 6.30 pm on Tuesday and then to Mina until the 13thy of Zulhijjah for the “melontar” (stone throwing) ritual which marks the end of the haj pilgrimage. – Bernama
