The fourth and final flight carrying returning haj pilgrims from Brunei Darussalam landed at 8:44 am Thursday morning via Royal Brunei Airlines flight BI 4228.
A total of 251 pilgrims were on board, including officials from the Brunei Darussalam Haj Affairs Office (Medical) and Darussalam Services Sdn Bhd (DSSB).
The returning pilgrims were greeted at the Brunei International Airport by family members as well as by senior government officials which included 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 and Minister of Defence II, who is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB), Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof; and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, as Acting Minister of
Health, Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Nazmi bin Haji Awang Mohamad and spouse.
Health, Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Nazmi bin Haji Awang Mohamad greeting returning haj pilgrims. PHOTOS: MUIZ MATDANI & ADIB NOOR
Also present were Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Brunei Darussalam, Mohammed Abdullah Al Buraithin along with Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohammad Tashim bin Pengiran Haji Hassan and his spouse; Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Commissioner Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Mohammad Irwan bin Haji Hambali and his spouse; and other senior government officials.
Members of the Haj Advisory Council and senior officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs were also in attendance.
The Doa Selamat was recited by Penguasa of Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque Yang Mulia Awang Haji Haris bin Haji Suboh.
According to Saudi authorities, a total of 1.8 million pilgrims from around the world performed haj this year. – ADIB NOOR
