MECCA, Aug 15 — The 30,200 Malaysians who performed the Haj pilgrimage this year are scheduled to return to the country between August 19 and September 13 on 69 flights, according to the head of the Malaysian Haj delegation, Datuk Seri Syed Saleh Syed Abd Rahman.

The first flight, carrying 483 pilgrims, is scheduled to depart from the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah at 1.10am (6.10am Malaysian time) on August 19 and arrive at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang at 2.50pm, he said.

The last flight is scheduled to leave the Prince Mohammad Abdul Aziz Airport in Medina at 1pm (6pm) on September 12 and arrive at KLIA at 3am on September 13, he told a press conference today at the Mecca headquarters of the Malaysian Pilgrims Fund Board (Tabung Haji).

Syed Saleh said the Malaysian pilgrims performed the Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam, with the assistance of 640 Tabung Haji staff.

He also said that all Malaysian pilgrims returned safely to Mecca from Mina by 10.50am (3.50pm) yesterday after ‘the stoning of the devil’ ritual.

Syed Saleh said the Haj pilgrimage by Malaysians this year was completed smoothly. — Bernama