Rokiah Mahmud
A bittersweet atmosphere pervaded Brunei International Airport yesterday as the second batch of this year’s intending Haj pilgrims bade farewell to their family and friends.
They departed the Sultanate at 10.01am onboard Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) flight BI4203, and were scheduled to arrive in Madinah at 2.30pm local time. A total of 206 intending Haj pilgrims, comprising 95 male and 111 female, were on Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd (DHSB) Haj packages.
Accompanying the pilgrims were seven officers from the Haj Affairs Medical Office, comprising three male and four female officers, along with DHSB officers.
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman and spouse; Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof; and Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar and spouse were present to send off the intending pilgrims.
Also present were Acting Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for DHSB; Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Haji Mohd Tashim bin Pengiran Haji Hassan and the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Brunei Darussalam Emad bin Abdul Aziz bin Saad Al Muhanna.
