Saudi Gazette report, 10 September 2013.
MADINAH — Malaysian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Datuk Syed Omar Syed Mohamad Al-Saggaf, Consul General Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak, deputy head of the Malaysian Haj delegation Tengku Aziz Raja Abdullah and head of Adila Establishment Dr. Yusof Ahmad Hawala welcomed the first batch of 450 Malaysian pilgrims who arrived here on Saturday.
Addressing the media, Ambassador Syed Omar conveyed his government’s gratitude and deep appreciation for the excellent arrangements made by the Saudi government to receive the pilgrims.
The Saudi government, the ambassador said, has great respect for the Malaysian pilgrims due to their good manners and discipline.
The ambassador advised all Malaysian pilgrims to protect the good name and image of their country by adhering to the Kingdom’s rules and regulations.
Consul General Mohd Khalid said a total of 22,320 pilgrims will perform Haj this year, 20 percent less than the last year.
While praising Saudi Arabia’s preparation and excellent arrangements despite the major expansion work to serve pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah, the Consul General was confident that things will be back to normal with sufficient quotas provided to all when the expansion projects are completed.
