Rokiah Mahmud
The first batch of the Sultanate’s Haj intending pilgrims left for Saudi Arabia by Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) Flight BI4201 at 11.22am yesterday. Families and friends gathered at the Brunei International Airport to send off the pilgrims, expected to arrive in Madinah at 3.30pm local time.
The first batch comprised 248 pilgrims registered under Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd (DHSB), Straits Central Agencies (B) Sdn Bhd (SCA) and Al-Hijrah Travel and Tours Sdn Bhd Haj packages.
Of the total, 168 comprised of 85 males and 83 females registered under DHSB; 67 (27 males and 40 females) under SCA and 13 (five males and eight females) under Al-Hijrah.
Accompanying the first batch of pilgrims were seven officers from the Haj Affairs Medical Office and officers from the Haj package providers.
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.
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; Commissioner of Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Dato Seri Paduka Seri Haji Mohammad Irwan bin Haji Hambali and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Brunei Darussalam Emad bin Abdul Aziz bin Saad Al-Muhanna were also present.
Doa Selamat was recited by Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Emran bin Haji Kunchang, while the call for prayer (Azan) was recited by Begawan Mudim Haji Abdul Latif bin Haji Saman
