PILGRIMS' FUND PROVIDES MEALS FOR M'SIAN PILGRIMS

From Ahmad Kamil Tahir

MECCA, Nov 7 (Bernama) - Tabung Haji (Malaysian Pilgrims Fund) is providing
Malaysian meals for the 26,000 Malaysian pilgrims performing the Haj this year
in an effort to ensure they get good nutrition throughout the pilgrimage.

A Tabung Haji (TH) spokesman said TH had ordered some 190,000 kilogrammes of
foodstuff like fish, beef, chicken, vegetables and fruit for the purpose and
that two of its subsidiaries, TH Global Services Sdn Bhd and Tabung Haji Travel,
were handling the task.

He said the meals for lunch and dinner and were distributed directly to the
pilgrims where they stayed.

Checks by Malaysian journalists covering this year's Haj at one the kitchens
operated by TH Global found strict quality control in place for cooking and
packing of the meals.

TH Global chief operating officer Yasmin Mohd Yazid said three cooks under
the supervision of a chef were responsible for preparing the meals, which are
delivered within two hours of their cooking to the pilgrims.

Basir Hamid, 38, the cook at the kitchen inspected by the journalists, said
the cooks' biggest challenge was meetinG the taste requirements of the pilgrims.

According to him, northerners (in Peninsular Malaysia) preferred curries,
southerners spicy dishes while easterners had "sweet tooth".

He added that getting ingredients to cook Malaysian food in Saudi Arabia was
not a problem.
-- BERNAMA