Some 4,200 Malaysian pilgrims have arrived in Madinah on 12 haj flights and are in good health, said Malaysian vice-consul in Jeddah (haj affairs) Mohamad Zawawi Bostam.    

He said another flight was scheduled to arrive at 4.30pm (9.30pm in Malaysia) with 279 pilgrims.

“The pilgrims who arrived since Sept 7 are healthy, happy and ready to perform their rituals," he told reporters in Madinah today.

Tabung Haji has brought pilgrims already in Madinah on visits to the Nabawi Mosque and other historical places around the city.

Each group of pilgrims will stay in Madinah for eight days before departing to Makkah in stages starting Sept 15.

They will begin their haj rituals starting from Wukuf in Arafah, scheduled for Oct 14.

Currently, 362 Tabung Haji personnel are in Madinah to assist pilgrims and guide them.  

The last flight to Madinah from the KL International Airport is expected to arrive on Sept 20 and the remaining Malaysian pilgrims will leave for Makkah starting Sept 22.  

A total of 22,320 haj pilgrims will arrive from Malaysia on 65 flights to perform the fifth pillar of Islam in the Holy Land this year.

- Bernama