All Malaysian pilgrims arrived in Arafah last night and are awaiting the ‘wukuf’ (grand assembly).    

Tabung Haji (TH) delegation head Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman said the arrival of Malaysian pilgrims one day earlier was a new record for TH as pilgrims usually arrived as late as 3pm on Zulhijjah 9 (Day of Arafah).  

He said 425 buses were deployed to transport the pilgrims from Makkah to Arafah, with the last bus arriving at 1.30am local time (4.30am in Malaysia).

“The mobilisation of pilgrims proceeded smoothly and the traffic was not so congested due to a 20 percent reduction in the quota of pilgrims this year as well as the Saudi Arabian government's tight control on the entry of pilgrims who do not have a valid haj visa this season,” he told reporters in Arafah today.   

All Malaysian pilgrims were in good health and the temperature in Arafah early Sunday morning was 45 degrees Celsius, dropping to 35 degrees at night.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom is scheduled to give a ‘zohor’ prayer sermon at noon and the pilgrims would be on their own to pray after the ‘asar’ prayer.

At midnight, all pilgrims will leave for Muzdalifah to spend the night or at least stop over to collect stones before going to Mina for the ‘stoning of the devil’ ritual.

- Bernama