Sarawak,Malaysia; Tuesday.
The Minister In The Prime Minister’s Department[Islamic Affairs], Datuk Abdullah Md Zin, told Bernama.com that the Hajj season has been going on smoothly for Malaysian Pilgrims.
He was commenting on reports that many pilgrims are stranded at the town of Mudzalifah due to chaotic transportation arrangements.
According to Datukl Abdullah Md Zain, all Malaysian Pilgrims are guided by officials from The Malaysian Hajj Board. What happened is, he told the press further, the guides from the Hajj Board , sensing something was amiss advised all Malaysian pilgrims to walk instead of waiting for the bus.
As a result, he said, many of the Pilgrims were late but they did arrived in MINA on time for the stoning rites.
Several thousand pilgrims from other countries were stranded because of confusion and some did not bother to seek advise from the Saudi authorities. Many more pilgrims were found encroaching on roads assigned to buses. These caused the massive jam.
On the sidelines many pilgrims went for sightseeing while waiting for their flight home. These are the groups that had completed their Hajj. Among the many places they visited are the various mosques not included in their Hajj package. They also visited tombs of the Caliphs, tombs of prophets and other holy sites.