80 Tabung Haji task force members leave for Mecca

0

PETALING JAYA: A Tabung Haji task force of 80, comprising a medical team, religious instructors, welfare personnel and media members, departs for Mecca yesterday.

Senior general manager of the Pilgrims Management and Fund Board Datuk Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman said the 80 were part of the 800-strong group responsible for ensuring the welfare and health of Malaysian pilgrims this Haj season.

“This is the second batch, after the first team of 45 information technology personnel, which left for Mecca on Sept 21,” he told reporters at the Kelana Jaya Tabung Haji complex here.

Syed Saleh said the rest of the task force, including Tabung Haji staff and National Registration Department personnel, would leave for Saudi Arabia in stages.

Syed Salleh said that 450 pilgrims would leave on Thursday by chartered MAS and Saudi Airlines aircraft.

“They are the first batch of the 28,000 Malaysian pilgrims under the quota permitted by the Saudi authorities for this Haj season,” he said.

The return flights to Malaysia are scheduled to start on Nov 12 and end on Dec 11. — Bernama