Compiled by C. ARUNO and DIVYA THERESA RAVI
HAJ pilgrims are stepping up their preparations by staying active to build endurance for the pilgrimage, Harian Metro reported.
Although Amir Omar, 69, went for the pilgrimage once about 20 years ago, he said physical preparation at this age is important.
“I have started walking and cycling,” said the Kedahan, who is going next month.
First-timer pilgrim Norul Kamar Hussein, 59, said he is on a healthy diet and goes for long walks in preparation for haj.
“In addition, I have gone for health checks and took mandatory and additional injections,” he said.
> The daily also reported that some Kedah residents had little warning when a fierce storm struck, ripping off roofs and damaging more than 140 homes in under 15 minutes.
Food stall owner Nik Hasan Nik Su said the storm blew away the front roof of his business premises when they were in operation.
“Customers tried to escape when the strong wind hit, but were struck by a collapsed canopy, causing injuries.
“We really didn’t expect a storm because before that, the weather was hot and there was no sign of rain,” he said, adding that he lost about RM20,000 and hoped for immediate assistance to resume his business.
Another resident, Azizul Ibrahim, said his roof was blown away some 200m to the back by the storm.
“I took my three children and wife to safety.
“It was the worst incident ever since we started living here,” he said.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
