Selangor Journal
Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand Mosque as Saudi Arabia welcomes back pilgrims for the 2022 haj season, after the kingdom barred foreign travellers over the last two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on July 1, 2022. — Picture by REUTERS

Saudi Arabia agrees to bring grand haj symposium to Malaysia

MAKKAH, June 23 — Saudi Arabia has in principle agreed with the proposal of Malaysia to hold a Grand Haj Symposium at the Southeast Asian region level.

Minister In the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said Saudi Arabian Minister of Haj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq Fauzan Muhammed Al Rabiah, has given a positive response to cooperate on the matter.

“I have informed him via WhatsApp of my suggestion to bring the symposium to Malaysia and he agreed in principle and will cooperate if Malaysia intends to hold the Southeast Asian level symposium,” he told reporters after launching the Masyair cleanliness programme here.

He said the matter will be discussed further with Tabung Haji to realise the hosting of the symposium.

The Grand Haj Symposium is held annually in Saudi Arabia to gather scholars and experts from around the world to share knowledge, research findings and best practices in all aspects of haj.

Meanwhile, Mohd Na’im gave a five-star evaluation of the services of TH in ensuring the safety and comfort of Malaysian pilgrims in the Holy Land.

He said this year alone, TH introduced 25 initiatives including the Ziarah Rahmah, e-Bimbingan Haji and the latest technology application for laboratory medical tests as a value add to the existing services.

— Bernama

Top Picks

Man sentenced to jail, whipping for robbing elderly woman

Sg Golok blast: Malaysian-Thai border open as usual — Police

Japan’s Kishida says Parliament will not be dissolved after party’s failure in by-elections