MECCA: Muassasah Southeast Asia, the Saudi agency in Mecca responsible for Haj pilgrims from the region, has made several improvements to ensure a more comfortable Masyair phase this year.
Masyair, a crucial part of the Haj, involves pilgrims travelling from Mecca to Arafah for Wukuf, then on to Muzdalifah, followed by four days in Mina.
Muassasah Southeast Asia chairman Muhammed Amin Hassan Andarqiri said for this year’s Haj season, pilgrims will be using newer GPS-equipped buses, and their accommodations have also seen some upgrade.
“Previously in Arafah, the tents would be made of wood and cloth. This year we have new tents. In Muzdalifah (an open field), more than 70 per cent of the area will be carpeted,” he told Malaysian media recently.
Also present was head of Malaysia’s 1438H Haj delegation, Datuk Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman, and other senior officials from Tabung Haji (TH).
Muhammed Amin said the new tents for Arafah and Mina are made of more sophisticated material, are fire-proof, and would help lower the temperature inside by 6 degrees.
“This year, we have also secured two sources of power supply, so there should not be any outages. There are air-conditioning units and mist-fans to keep the pilgrims cool. Insya-Allah, it will be more comfortable this year,” he added.
Muhammed Amin said Haj pilgrims from Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries will also be supplied with pebbles beforehand for the ‘Stoning of the Devil’ ritual at Jamrah in Mina. Previously, each pilgrim would have to collect the 70 pebbles themselves.
“In terms of health services, there are six hospitals in Mecca and three in Arafah and Mina specifically for Haj pilgrims,” he said.
Mohammed Amin said with the increase in total pilgrims this year to about 2 million, it is important that each country’s pilgrims adhere to their respective travel schedules.
He said it would be a blessing for Saudi authorities if all pilgrims were as disciplined as those from Malaysian, who have consistently won praise every year.
“That shows the experience of those who work at Tabung Haji, and we also learn from them. There is improvement every year, more planning and more efficiency,” Mohammed Amin said.
On how the Muassasah manages 300,000 Haj pilgrims from Southeast Asia every year, he said the task is made easier by cooperating with agencies like TH.
“We don’t work in isolation. We have good relations with TH and other Southeast Asian agencies. We are like family. We work as a team, with one objective — to support the pilgrims,” Mohammed Amin said.