Commets from KFJ on 16/3/2003

I personally agree with you AbeDib!

My experience with TH when I performed Hajj last season made me rate them overall as "satisfactory"...lots can be improved.

Mua'sassah is, well how should I put it....perhaps "second class" citizen when it comes to Hajj, we were placed in buildings further away from the Baitullah al Haram, the jumrahs and Masjid Nabawi.

The food was "eatable" but after 3-4 weeks, we opted to purchase our own food, and pity those who have just enough to spend for the season...but of course the main reason we were there was to perform Hajj....not eat!

What I am really upset is when they use our Hajj as the reason to kind of "protect" their position - "sabar, kena banyak sabar, cubaan etc.." I mean if the same complaints are being placed every season by the pilgrims, something must be wrong somewhere.

But then again, AbeDib, based on my personal observation, not stereo-typing the "tour package" Hajj people, sometimes the people really need to understand the real fact why they were there. If they expect special treatment all the while because they pay about at least RM5k more than the mua'sassah...well then, its like if you are richer, your place in heaven is better?

I even came accross some of them who were talking among themselves saying that how come people who are paying less gets better treatment than them? Some even have the "proud" look in their face when they came across us - our "bag kecik" were printed with TH & flag of Malaysia while theirs were more colorful, comfortably padded and with the tour agency title on it. Some of them even stated that to them what is paying Rm5k more....well, try saying that to the pakcik & makcik who saved their harvest money every season....and these are the people who have to walk 2-3km to reach the jumrahs...

Some just stick to their group, and seems to never bundled with others. I mix around quite a lot, with the Arabs, Afrikaans, Americans, Indians, Pakintanis, the Turks and all other nations. Still in touch with them till today. There was one south African that I really admire, multi millionaire but in Mecca/Medina, he mix with the poor Pakistanis and others, learn their ways in life share knowledge etc, I spent quite some times after prayers talking to brother Naaeim about Islam and life....he stated that Malaysian are much better off than the rest of the Muslims countyr becasue TH is there to look after the welfare of the pilgrims from Malaysia.

As I have stated upfront, I am not stereo-typing the "tour package" Hajj, this is case by case basis....but even being with the mua'sassah, I can confirm that there is a big room for improvement...but the mere fact the TH at times are using "kena banyak bersabar" as a "disclaimer clause", something needs to be done TH! The money our pligrims kept is like an amanah for TH to manage....

Well....at least we have been there AbeDib....let us pray for those who have all the money and yet use the lame excuse "Belum sampai seru" (which is really really wrong!) to make their move fast...we don't know when we'll breathe our last air...

Wassalam