Kuala lumpur: The first group of 284 Malaysian haj pilgrims departed for the Holy Land early this morning from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 at 4.05 am on Malaysia Airlines flight MH8050. They are expected to arrive at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina at 7.50 am Saudi Arabia time, the same day. The group comprised 141 and 143 pilgrims from the Alor Setar, Kedah, and Sepang departure stations, respectively.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, expressed his gratitude for being able to spend time with the dhuyufurrahman (guests of Allah) as they embarked on their spiritual journey to perform the fifth pillar of Islam. "After all our planning and various initiatives and programmes to prepare our pilgrims, Alhamdulillah, this year's journey has gone very smoothly. All pilgrims have undergone a comprehensive programme, not only in terms of religious rulings but also health aspects, understanding of haj rites, and so on," he stated.
Dr. Zulkifli further mentioned, "This morning, we saw off 284 of our haj pilgrims. Alhamdulillah, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Malaysia, Osamah Dakhel R Al-Ahmadi, also joined us to celebrate this departure," during a press briefing after the farewell ceremony for Malaysian haj pilgrims for the 1447H/2026M season.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Marhamah Rosli; Tabung Haji (TH) chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain; and TH chief executive officer, Mustakim Mohamad. In his parting advice, Dr. Zulkifli urged pilgrims to prioritize their health and personal safety, remain focused on their worship, and seek information from reliable sources such as TH.
"Do not trust news from unverified sources. Do not do anything prohibited or inappropriate while in the Holy Land. Focus on your worship, just as you learned during the haj course," he advised. Dr. Zulkifli also announced his plans to depart for the Holy Land on May 19 for a working visit, where he will meet Malaysian pilgrims and perform the haj.
The final flight carrying 31,600 Malaysian haj pilgrims is scheduled for May 20.