MAKKAH: A total of 31,600 Malaysian haj pilgrims this year commenced their journey to the Masyair to perform the wukuf in Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina beginning 6am today.
They moved in stages and were transported on special buses rented by Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH).
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, who flagged off their departure this morning, said three buses will depart from Maktab 77 and 78 accommodations at the Abraj Al-Janaderiyah hotel, as well as from other designated locations.
Na'im expressed hope and prayed that all pilgrims embarking on the wukuf will have a smooth journey to Arafah without any issues and will achieve a blessed haj.
"We hope that haj pilgrims will focus on ibadah and if arriving early, they can prepare for seating arrangements.
"They can also concentrate on prayers, zikir and strive to obtain 'pahala' during the wukuf in Arafah, as it is the most mustajab (granted) place for supplication.
"Avoid matters that can distract you as they may affect the success of our haj , which we seek from Allah," he told TH media officials here yesterday.
A total of 20 buses are allocated for each maktab. There are 10 maktab divisions categorised into four zones: Zone A, Zone B, Zone C and Zone D.
There are three schedules for movement involving all pilgrims: at 6am, late morning and late afternoon.
Pilgrims who are sick and need special assistance will also be transported via Safari Wukuf, a special bus to Arafah, accompanied by chaperones under the Ar-Rahman guest programme to assist elderly pilgrims with special needs.
These chaperones are tasked to help these pilgrims throughout the peak period of haj pilgrimage or 'masyair'.
Meanwhile, enforcement by the Saudi authorities have been very stringent in this year's haj season as many arrests were made against those who did not have valid permits.
In this regard, Na'im urged next year's batch of haj pilgrims to be more cautious and avoid entering Makkah and Madinah without a valid permit, unless they are issued under TH or the Mujamalah visa.
He said all Malaysian pilgrims who get on buses would have been checked by the authorities and these buses will also have a special sticker affixed to their doors as a specific marker to facilitate authorities who are stationed along major routes to check the influx of pilgrims.
"This signifies the seriousness of the Saudi Arabian government in enforcing regulations at every pit stop before the buses arrive in Arafah," he said.