Malaysia's Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Religious Affairs, Dr Zulkifli Hasan, urged Malaysian Haj pilgrims on Monday to follow advice from doctors, health officers and Lembaga Tabung Haji staff as temperatures in Saudi Arabia rose to 34C-35C and were expected to climb further. [1]
He said conditions in Saudi Arabia and the Holy Land were currently good, and told pilgrims to stay focused on their worship. “Conditions in Saudi Arabia and the Holy Land are currently good. Pilgrims are advised to follow the advice of doctors, health officers and personnel there, and to remain focused on performing their religious duties to the best of their ability,” he said. [1]
The warning came as Malaysian officials reported the death of a 65-year-old pilgrim in the Holy Land. Zulkifli said the death was God’s will, while Mohd Hisham Harun said the pilgrim died at 12.15pm local time, or 5.15pm Malaysian time, from heart complications. [1]
Officials said the pilgrim had passed the required health screenings before travel. Lembaga Tabung Haji handled the funeral arrangements, including transporting the remains to Masjidil Haram for funeral prayers after Maghrib before burial at Al Sharayea Cemetery in Makkah. [1]
Zulkifli also officiated the Islamic Media Arts Academy, or ASMI, module book and course at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in Nilai earlier on Monday. ASMI is described as a strategic programme to introduce module books and training courses for Islamic media practitioners, with 100 participants in the scheme. [1]