PUTRAJAYA: Sixty-three Umrah pilgrims brought to Medina by Naqsyabandiyah Al-Kholidiah group in March this year are still stranded in Saudi Arabia since June 2022.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in its statement said, the pilgrims consist of 25 adults and 35 children had been in Medina since they arrived without being taken to Mecca to perform their Umrah.
The statement added, following the violation of the local law, the government of Saudi Arabia had instructed the head of the group to leave the country on 20th Aug.2022.
Meanwhile the Malaysian government has agreed to help manage the pilgrims who are stranded to return to Malaysia with the efforts and cooperation between the related government agencies.
“In this case, MOFA and the Minister’s Office in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) with the Malaysian Embassy in Riyadh and Malaysian Consulate General in Jeddah will manage and coordinate the return of the pilgrims involved to Malaysia in the near future.
“MOFA will consistently try to ensure that the safety and welfare of Keluarga Malaysia will always be protected when they are abroad,” the statement said. –Malaysia World News
