Wisma Putra announced in a statement that 36 of 63 Malaysian pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia are finally home. The pilgrims arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) around 5:50 a.m, this morning. The other 27 pilgrims will be heading home on the next flight.
They were stranded in Saudi Arabia since June. Among the pilgrims, there are 28 adults and 35 children. Initially, they followed the Naqsyabandiyah Al-Kholidiah group to perform Umrah in March. However, they were only taken to Madinah. The group did not take them to Mekah to perform the Umrah.
The pilgrims abide by the rules set by the Government of Saudi Arabia to go home. This action was taken to maintain a close bilateral relationship between the two countries. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia had given Malaysia the tourist visa facility. This facility is given to 49 countries and Malaysia is one of them.
Malaysia also showed appreciation towards the government of Saudi Arabia for helping the stranded return home. The safety and welfare of the Malaysian pilgrims were all cared for during that time.
Wisma Putra hoped that all Malaysian, especially those abroad, to always abide by and respect the rules set by other countries. This is to ensure safety and avoid getting into any trouble.
Source: BERNAMA