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First Flight For Haj
By Azrol Azmi & Za'im Zaini

Bandar Seri Begawan - The 'Azan' or call to prayers echoed through the Brunei International Airport as the first haj flight lined up the runway to take off with more than 200 pilgrims on board for a month-long of religious activities and acts in the Holy land of Mecca.

Family, relatives and friends packed the departure hall of the airport to bid farewell and a safe journey.

Handshakes and embrace were exchanged all round between the same gender in the caring way of Bruneians as the Mecca bound pilgrims were called to the departure gates.

The Borneo Bulletin witnessed the basking glow of happiness among the pilgrims as they were about to embark and complete their fifth pillar of Islam.

It will be another four weeks before the pilgrims would finally be bestowed with the title 'haji' for males and 'hajah' for females.

Present to bid the departing pilgrims were Acting Minister of Religious Affairs, Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Othman and

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Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Mohiddin, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Also present to bid farewell were Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Hamid bin Pengiran Haji Mohd Yassin, Permanent Secretary -of the Prime Ministers' Office who is also in his capacity as RBA chairmnian, Dato Paduka HajiYusofbin Haji Ismail, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs who is also the Chairman of Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Also present to bid farewell were Dato Paduka Haji Ishaaq bin Haji Abdullah, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Fengiran Haj i Mustapha bin Pg Haji Aliuddin, Acting Managing Director of Hajj , Pg. Mohd YusofPgHj JeludinActing Chief Executive Officer of RBA, other senior government officers and RBA management.

Prior to embarking the flight BI 4173 a "Doa Selamat" was recited to bless the journey by Pehin Khatib Awang Haji Mustapha bin Haji Murad.

Md Rozaini bin Mohd Hassan of Kg Kiarong, who was among the pilgrims leaving for his first haj at the airport yesterday, says it is a dream come true and a spiritual journey and feels that as a Muslim, it is time he responded to the call of haj, thus completing the fifth pillar of Islam. He is going to perform the haj with five others in his family, his two parents, two siblings and his grandfather.

He added it was good timing as he is a teacher and the haj period was during the school holiday and his parents have recently just retired. Looking on the management of the haj departure, all went smoothly and was executed well.

Yesterday's flight at l l.30am was the first of six haj flights and the pilgrims are expected to arrive in Madinah at 06.50pm local time. The last flight would be on December 15 at 7.50pm.

Among those also performing the haj this year are Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Dr. Haji Mohammad bin Pg. Haji Abdul Rahman, Deputy Minister of Education and Dato Paduka Haji Adenan bin Haji Hanafiah, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs. Today, the 2nd flight of haj pilgrims will fly off at 2.15pm on board flight B14175. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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