JAKARTA: Brunei has announced that its citizens would not perform the annual Islamic Hajj this year following an increase in health risk due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Brunei Religious Minister Awang Badaruddin Othman in a press conference said, the country would not send its 1,000 yearly selected pilgrims and those travelling at their own expenses to perform the Hajj.
The religious minister further said, “The decision was made after Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah gave his consent to the recommendation of the Brunei Islamic Religious Council, which convened last Saturday to cancel Bruneian pilgrims participation in the Hajj.”
“Regarding the participation of Hajj pilgrims, it is confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic still poses a global threat and that the spread of this virus is not likely to cease in the near future,” he added.
Brunei became the fourth country in Southeast Asia to withhold its Hajj pilgrims this year following Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Earlier in May, Singapore announced that its nationals would not perform the Hajj due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On the other hand, Indonesia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Fachrul Razi, also decided to cancel the departure of Hajj pilgrims out of health concerns. Saudi Arabia has also suspended the year-round Umrah in March.
Nearly 2.5 million Muslims travelled to Makkah last year for the pilgrimage, which Muslims are required to perform at least once in their life if possible.
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