Missing umrah pilgrim confirmed dead

BATU PAHAT: Umrah pilgrim Musthafa Kamal Abdullah, who was reported missing in Mecca in December last year, has been confirmed dead.

His eldest child, Muhammad Nabil, 26, said his family received the news from the Malaysian embassy at about 11.40am on Friday (June 9).

He said ‘solat jenazah ghaib’ (funeral prayer in absence of the dead) was performed at Masjid Jamek Sri Gading after Friday prayers.

"I was also told that my father actually died on Feb 13 and the embassy only learned about my father's death about two days before informing us.

"Now, we are waiting for my father's death confirmation document,” he told reporters when met at his family's home in Sri Gading here on Saturday (June 10).

Muhammad Nabil said he planned to bring his mother and four siblings to visit his father's grave in Mecca soon.

Musthafa Kamal, 49, who was a teacher, should have returned to Malaysia on Dec 18 after performing the umrah with his other son, Muaz, but on Dec 12, he was reported missing from his hotel room.- Bernama