Malaysia is the first country to provide for muassasah pilgrims such a facility while performing the wukuf, said Muhammad Amin Hassan Andarqiri, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Muassasah council for Southeast Asian haj pilgrims.

He said the council had agreed to replace water-vapour fans with air-cooling fans, but decided to upgrade to air conditioners just for Malaysian pilgrims, because of the excellent relations between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

“This is my guarantee,” he said after a meeting with 12 managers of the Malaysian pilgrims’ accommodation colleges here, today. Also present was Malaysia’s haj leader, Syed Salleh Abdul Rahman.

Amin said the air-conditioners were installed in view of the hot weather, with temperatures expected to reach 50 degrees Celsius in Arafah during the wukuf season.

He said he had advised Malaysian pilgrims to be prepared for cold temperatures in the tents of between 24 and 25 degrees Celsius.

Malaysia was selected to be in the pioneer project after discussions with Tabung Haji management to upgrade Malaysian muassasah facilities at the Arafah plains. (Muassasah is the pilgrim group managed by a body such as Tabung Haji.)

Syed Salleh said the first Malaysian group was expected to arrive in Mecca from Madinah this evening.