The atmosphere was thick with emotion at the Brunei International Airport yesterday when the first batch of Haj pilgrims safely returned home after they were delayed by five hours.

The first batch arrived on a specially chartered flight of Royal Brunei Airlines B14214 which comprised Haj pilgrims and medical officers following Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd and Straits Central Agencies (B) Sdn Bhd.

Present at the Brunei International Airport to greet the Haj pilgrims were Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Haji Dato Paduka Awang Othman, Minister of Religious Affairs;  Yang Berhormat  Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in his capacity as the Chairman of the Board of Director for Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB);  Yang Berhormat  Dato Seri Setia Dr.Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, Minister of Health; Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs and permanent secretaries at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Upon arrival of the pilgrims, a Doa Selamat was read by Mudim Awang Haji Metassim bin Haji Metussin.
Hundreds of families and friends gathered at the airport, some arriving as early as 3pm for the arrival of their loved ones. Tears were shed at the arrival hall as soon as the pilgrims walked through and were immediately greeted with customary hugs and handshakes.

The Royal Brunei Police Force and medical officers were put on standby to ensure the smooth running of the pilgrims' arrival. The second batch of the Brunei Haj pilgrims is scheduled to arrive today in the afternoon.

One of the first time Haj pilgrims, Pengiran Haji Malik Yusri bin Pengiran Haji Zaidi who went to the holy land together with his wife and parents told the Media that he felt grateful for being able to perform the Haj. He added that although the weather might be different from Brunei it did not affect his strong will to perform one of the five pillars of Islam.

As for 57-year-old Haji Puasa bin Bujang, who performed the Haj along with his wife and sons, he expressed their gratitude for being able to perform the sacred journey. Despite having a minor cough and cold while they were in the holy cities, their journey went well.

He added that with the efficiency and assistance provided by the Haj and medical officers, their pilgrimage ran smoothly.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]