Malaysians going for haj will enjoy air-conditioned tents

MECCA: After the pre-clearance programme at the point of departure, Malaysian pilgrims will enjoy another new facility.

They can enjoy the comfort of the air-conditioned tent on the plains of Arafah for wukuf, or resting a while, during 1439H haj season this year.

Southeast Asia Muassasah supreme council chairman Muham­mad Amin Hassan Andarqiri said Malaysia would be the first country in the world for muassasah pilgrims to be provided with air-conditioned tents while performing the wukuf (grand assembly).

“For this year, (at first) we have made an agreement with Tabung Haji (TH) to upgrade the water vapour fans to air cooling fans.

“But due to the good relations between the two countries, we decided to upgrade this facility to air conditioners just for Malaysian pilgrims.

“This is my guarantee,” he said after the Ta’aruf Council with 12 managers of the Malaysian pilgrims’ accommodation colleges here yesterday.

Also present was Malaysia’s haj leader, Datuk Seri Syed Salleh Abdul Rahman.

Muhammad Amin said they took the initiative to install the air conditioners due to the hot weather that saw temperatures reaching 50°C in Arafah this year during the wukuf season.

He said he had asked Syed Salleh to advise Malaysian pilgrims to bring additional ihram (unsewn white cloth) clothing while in Arafah because the temperature in the tents would be between 24°C and 25°C.

Malaysia was selected to be in the pioneer project after discussions with the TH management to upgrade Malaysian muassasah facilities in the Arafah plains. (Muassasah is the pilgrim group managed by a body such as TH).

Muhammad Amin also hoped that the facility would help Malaysian pilgrims to be more comfortable in their worship during wukuf in Arafah, which is also the highlight of the fifth pillar of the Islamic faith.

Meanwhile, Syed Salleh said yesterday’s event was to enable Mecca’s accommodation college managers to be better acquainted with Southeast Asia Muassasah before the operation begins here.

“On Sunday evening (yesterday), the first Malaysian pilgrim group to arrive in Mecca from Madinah will mark the start of our operations here.

“When the situation gets busier (after the arrival of the pilgrims), the understanding in terms of cooperation and operational systems of both parties will be very crucial in ensuring the smooth running of the operation,” he added. — Bernama