Malaysian Haj pilgrim dies in Makkah, country introduces ATMs in Holy Land

A Malaysian Haj pilgrim, aged 57, passed away due to heart failure on June 4 in Makkah. The woman from Raub, Pahang, died at the Tabung Haji (TH) Treatment Centre, according to Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman, Head of the Malaysian Haj Delegation. Her funeral prayers were held at Masjidil Haram (the Grand Mosque) after the Zohor (midday) prayer the following day, and she was buried at Syariee Cemetery, Makkah.

“The funeral prayers were held at Masjidil Haram (the Grand Mosque) after the Zohor (midday) prayer (the next day) and she was buried at Syariee Cemetery, Makkah.”

Syed Saleh mentioned that TH counsellors had visited the deceased’s husband, who is also in Makkah to perform the Haj. TH will manage the badal haji (haj by proxy) for her. Currently, 37 Malaysian pilgrims are being treated at the TH Treatment Centre in Makkah, while another ten are being treated at Saudi Arabian hospitals for various health issues.

He also informed that a total of 22,800 or almost 72% of the country’s 31,600 pilgrims are already in Makkah to date.

In a separate development, Malaysia became the first country to provide automatic teller machine (ATM) facilities in pilgrim accommodation buildings in the Holy Land. Syed Saleh inaugurated the Alinma Bank ATM in Abraj Janadriyyah, which will provide banking facilities to 8,000 Malaysian pilgrims in the building and surrounding locations.

According to Syed Saleh, the service was provided for the first time as a result of TH’s negotiations with Alinma Bank and the Saudi Central Bank to make it easier for pilgrims to withdraw money without having to walk far to find ATM machines in other areas. TH will continue efforts to enable the service to be provided in other accommodation buildings for the convenience of Malaysian pilgrims.

He added that TH and Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) have also agreed that for every transaction, the fees will be borne by BIMB for all Malaysian pilgrims.