MAKKAH: Tabung Haji (TH) will carry out ‘badal haji’ (Haj by proxy) for 25 deceased Malaysians, including marine police Corporal Abd Rajah Jamuan who was killed in an ambush by armed intruders in Pulau Mabul, Sabah and 10 Muslim crew members of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17 which was downed in eastern Ukraine in July.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the others comprised six would-be pilgrims for this season who passed away and eight teenage boys who drowned in Sungai Muar at Buluh Kasap, Segamat, Johor on Feb 21, this year.
“As an institution entrusted to manage the Haj for Malaysian pilgrims, ‘badai haji’ is one of TH’s responsibilities carried out each year, especially for those who die before the current season’s wukuf to complete the Haj programme,” he told the Malaysian media, here, yesterday.
Jamil Khir had ealier visited Haj pilgrims from Maktab (Group) 88, 89 and 90 at Hotel Land Premium, here. He was accompanied by TH chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and its chief executive officer and managing director, Tan Sri Ismee Ismail.
On the ‘badal haji’ for Abd Rajah, 32, the marine police patrol boat skipper in Pulau Mabul who was killed in the ambush on July 12, he said it was in recognition of a citizen killed while protecting the country’s security and sovereignty.
On the MAS crew members killed in the MH17 crash while en route to Kuala Lumour from Amsterdam on July 17, he said besides expressing sympathy for them, they were also regarded as part of the TH family, as TH and MAS collaborated each year in ferrying Malaysian Haj pilgrims on MAS aircraft to the Holy Land. The 10 crew members accorded the “badal haji” included the pilot, Captain Wan Amran Wan Hussin, first officer Ahmad Hakimi Hanapi, first officer Muhamad Firdaus Abdul Rahim, in-flight supervisor Mohd Ghafar Abu Bakar, and chief stewardesses Dora Shahila Kassim and Azrina Yakob.
The others were leading stewardess Mastura Mustafa, flight steward Shaikh Mohd Noor Mahmood and flight stewardesses Hamfazlin Sham Mohamed Arifin and Nur Shazana Mohamed Salleh.
Jamil Khir said among the would-be pilgrims who died were Nastain Ahmad, 48, from Sabah, who died in a road accident before his Haj trip, and liver cancer patient Maznah Mat Dali, 51, from Sekilau, Pahang, who died here on Tuesday from lung infection.
The others who died recently were Omar Mahmud, 58, from Johor Baharu, Ab Khalim Md Yusof, 59, from Shah Alam, Selangor, and two women, Rossnah Abu Hassan, 52, and Che Yah Jaafar, 62, from Sik, Kedah.
The eight boys who perished in the drowning incident in Sungai Muar were Mohd Zaki Zaidi, 16, his younger brother Mohd Zikri, 14, Mohd Hafizuddin Kamal, 16, Mohd Izuan Hakimie Abdullah, 16, Mohd Hafizul Danial Norhashim, 16, Nazrul Aminudin Zamri, 15, Mohd Shafiq Md Shukur, 16, and Mohd Nazreen Zainal, 14.
Jamil Khir said the family members and next of kin of the 25 people accorded the “badal haji” had been informed about it and the badal haji certificates would be given to them after the end of this Haj season.
He said the costs for the badal haji would be fully borne by TH which would be appointing only qualified individuals to perform the Haj for the deceased. — Bernama