JEDDAH, 30 August — Abdul Hamid ibn Zainal Abidin, the Malaysian minister in charge of Islamic affairs at the prime minister’s department, will visit Saudi Arabia next Tuesday. On arrival, the minister will have a meeting with Haj Minister Iyad Madani to discuss arrangements for Malaysian pilgrims coming to perform the Haj, Malaysian Consul General Syed Sultan Idris announced yesterday.
Speaking to Arab News ahead of his country’s National Day, which will be marked by a flag raising ceremony at the consulate at 9 p.m. tomorrow, Idris said the minister would be accompanied by a delegation consisting of top executives of Lembaga Tabung Haji, the pilgrim fund board dedicated to the management of Haj pilgrims.
The board, which has an office in Jeddah since mid-’70s functioning under the aegis of the consulate, also operates as an alternative organization to Malaysian Muslims in matters relating to savings and investment based on Islamic practices.
“Our population is 22 million and our Haj quota is 22,000. The quota will be fully utilized this time, like last year,” the consul general said.
“Malaysia is working on realizing a proposed visit by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard. It’s a long-standing invitation and Malaysians are keen to receive him at his convenience,” Idris added.
The level of Saudi investment in Malaysia, although relatively small, is steadily increasing. “Malaysia welcomes more Saudi investment in the manufacturing sector. Investors will find the country’s open and liberal trading practices...and pro-business government policies conducive to investment,” Idris added.
He emphasized that Malaysia has also become a favorite destination for Saudi families. Some 27,000 tourists from the Kingdom visited Malaysia last year.
Some 1,000 Malaysians live in the Kingdom.
