| Abdul Hakiim Yakof |
THE first batch of pilgrims left for Saudi Arabia yesterday to perform the annual Haj pilgrimage. Family members and friends wished them a happy and safe journey at the Departure Hall of the Brunei International Airport as the pilgrims waited to board Royal Brunei flight BI4201 to Madinah.
The first batch comprises 251 male and female pilgrims under packages offered by Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd, At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd and Raudah Al-Amin Sdn Bhd, including officers from the Haj Affairs Medical Office as well as the package providers.
Present to bid farewell to the pilgrims were Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman and his spouse, Deputy Minister of Finance Dato Seri Paduka Awang Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman; Charge d’Affaires at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Brunei Darussalam Hussain Mohammed Al-Dajani; Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy bin Haji Muhd Shah Al-Islam; permanent secretaries and deputy permanent secretaries from various minstries; directors; assistant directors; senior officers at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and managing directors of companies handling the Haj packages.
At the farewell, a Doa Selamat was recited led by Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Emran bin Haji Kunchang while the Azan (call for prayer) was performed by Mudim Haji Metassim bin Haji Metussin.
