‘MUSLIM COUNTRIES WANT TO LEARN FROM MALAYSIA’
They want to emulate TH’s haj operations, Islamic financial services, says minister
MAKKAH
SEVERAL countries, impressed with Malaysia’s management of the haj and its pilgrims, have expressed an interest to learn from Tabung Haji (TH).
This was conveyed to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of religious affairs, Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, during a dinner with ambassadors and ministers of haj and religious affairs of various Muslim countries here recently.
The dinner was hosted by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Abdulaziz al-Saud.
Mujahid said Malaysia’s organisation of the haj could be a model for other Muslim countries.
He added that Algeria, among others, wanted to learn from TH as it was interested in its innovative
haj management model.
“It wants to emulate TH’s smooth and efficient haj operations and Islamic financial services,” he told Malaysian media here before departing for Kuala Lumpur.
He said Palestine also expressed interest in learning from Malaysia.
He added that TH would help those interested in adopting its model of haj management.
The good record of TH has led to Malaysian pilgrims enjoying more privileges this year.
The Saudi government made the fasttrack immigration process possible this year under its “Mecca Road” initiative.
The arrival process in both Madinah and Jeddah, for pilgrims going straight to Makkah, has been considerably faster thanks to a new pre-clearance system.
In Madinah, it took just about 45 minutes from disembarkation to pilgrims boarding buses to their hotel, compared with the previous three to six hours.
In Jeddah, it took only one hour compared with the four to 14 hours previously.
Malaysian haj pilgrims also enjoyed a more comfortable and less dusty living space with ceramic tile flooring inside their tents in Mina this year, as well as new double-storey toilets in Arafah and Muzdalifah.
These were among efforts, together with air-conditioned tents in Arafah, to make the Masyair period less trying for Malaysian pilgrims.