SEREMBAN: For over 30 years, 58 year-old Azhar Baba, had been saving money in Tabung Haji to perform the Haj.
Azhar, from Pinggiran Golf Park in Paroi, here, said he began to save in 1986 when he started working.
The support staff at a government department here said he initially deposited RM20 per month through salary deductions, before increasing the amount to RM50 from 1992 to 2016.
Azhar added he had to save in small amounts because his pay was low and he had other commitments to take care of, including three school-going children.
"Slowy but surely, I managed to save enough money. Then, in 2016, I was called up by Tabung Haji to perform the Haj, but had to decline because at that time, one of my kids was involved in a road accident.
"I received a second call last year, but again had to decline as my wife, Laily Mohd Baharudin, 56, was unwell," he said when met at his home, today.
Azhar is grateful that despite many obstacles, his dream of performing the fifth pillar of Islam was finally realised when he received a call again this year.
He and his wife are scheduled to leave for Makkah on the KT30 flight at 4pm this Friday.
"I am deeply grateful that the dream of visiting the Holy Land is finally fulfilled.
“I hope everything will go smoothly as planned and that our Haj will be accepted by Allah (Haj mabrur)."