Bigger Number Of 1MDB Sponsors To Make Haj Trip Next Year

From Abdul Aziz Harun MECCA, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- A bigger number of imams and chairmen of village development and security committees will be offered Haj trips sponsored by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) next year, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said here on Wednesday. He said the government recognised the importance of the role played by imams and the village heads as grassroots community leaders. This year, 57 imams and 54 village heads were offered the trips. One of them died before the trip. Najib said the annual programme was launched after the government realised that many of the grassroots leaders from the two groups have yet to perform the Haj due to financial constraints. "The programme was launched as a corporate social responsibility of 1MDB," he told a news conference at the office of the Malaysian Pilgrims Management and Fund Board (Tabung Haji) at a hotel, here. Najib was then brought to meet the 110 imams and village heads who expressed their happiness at being able to meet the prime minister, who had made it possible for them to come to the Holy Land. -- BERNAMA