A Malaysian Haj Pilgrim Dies In Makkah

From Kamarul Irwan Alias

MAKKAH, June 12 (Bernama) -- A 57-year-old Malaysian Haj pilgrim died here at 11.50pm on June 4 due to heart failure.

Head of the Malaysian Haj Delegation, Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman, who disclosed the matter, said the woman from Raub, Pahang died at the Tabung Haji (TH) Treatment Centre here.

"The funeral prayers were held at Masjidil Haram (the Grand Mosque) after the Zohor (miidday) prayer (the next day) and she was buried at Syariee Cemetery, Makkah," he said in a press conference on the developments of Malaysian Haj operations, at the TH Makkah Headquarters, Abraj Janadriyah here.

He said TH's counsellors had visited the deceased's husband, who is also in Makkah to perform the Haj, and that TH would also manage the badal haji (haj by proxy) for her.

Meanwhile, Syed Saleh said that currently, 37 Malaysian pilgrims are being treated at the TH Treatment Centre in Makkah while another 10 are being treated at Saudi Arabian hospitals for respiratory and heart problems, lung infection, emotional disorders, skin pain, muscle and joint pains

He also informed that a total of 22,800 or almost 72 percent of the country's 31,600 pilgrims are already in Makkah to date.

In another development, Malaysia became the first country to provide automatic teller machine (ATM) facilities in pilgrim accommodation buildings in the Holy Land.

Syed Saleh, who inaugurated the Alinma Bank ATM in Abraj Janadriyyah here, said it will provide banking facilities to 8,000 Malaysian pilgrims in the building and surrounding locations.

According to him, the service was provided for the first time as a result of TH's negotiations with Alinma Bank and the Saudi Central Bank to make it easier for pilgrims to withdraw money without having to walk far to find ATM machines in other areas.

He said TH will continue efforts to enable the service to be provided in other accommodation buildings for the convenience of Malaysian pilgrims.

He added that TH and Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) have also agreed that for every transaction, the fees will be borne by BIMB for all Malaysian pilgrims.

-- BERNAMA