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502168
Tue, 08/21/2018 - 14:29
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Pilgrim Recalls Days of Sea Travel to Makkah

By Norul Akma Mohd Zain  GEORGE TOWN (Penang), Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Mokhtar Osman remembers the days when he sailed to Makkah from Port Swettenham (today known as the Penang Port) to perform the Haj. The 92-year-old had the priceless experience of travelling to Makkah by sea twice – once in 1954 and again in 1971. The memory of the voyage remained fresh in his mind despite his age. “My first trip to Haj was with my uncle on a ship called the Anshun. I remember Port Swettenham being packed with pilgrims and the family members who had come to see them off,” the father of 15 told Bernama during an interview recently. The Anshun was one of the first ships used to ferry Haj pilgrims to Makkah from Port Swettenham. It was one of the ships owned by the China Navigation Company. COMING EARLY Mokhtar’s first trip to Haj saw him heading off to Port Swettenham along with his uncles and relatives three days before the date of departure. There were also pilgrims who came a week earlier. They would stay at accommodation provided by licensed Haj agents dubbed “Haj Sheikhs”. These agents work under the supervision of the Penang Haj Control Centre. The journey to Makkah from Penang by sea typically takes between 14 and 16 days, so pilgrims would bring their own food supplies. "Some pilgrims brought with them bags of uncooked rice, pots and pans. They brought so many items, it was as if they were merchants doing trade on the ship," he recounted. The Anshun was such a large ship that pilgrims had to be divided by village, said Mokhtar. He remembered being seasick on the third day of his journey. “I remained seasick until the day we reached Jeddah as I couldn’t cope with the violently rocky seas,” said Mokhtar, who still has keepsakes from his Haj trips in the form of passports and Haj passes. The nausea and tiredness he felt, however, disappeared as soon as he caught view of the Kaabah. As a paddy farmer back then, Mokhtar had to save up for four years to cover the cost of performing Haj in 1954, which was RM800. Despite having gone for Haj twice, the nonagenarian still harbours dreams of going to through the experience again. “If given the chance, I would like to go again but with my children,” he said. CONGREGATION POINT According to historical records from the diary of the first Penang Qadi (judge) at the time, Sheikh Omar Basyir, the ships first used for ferrying Haj pilgrims to Makkah from Penang were cargo ships. Sheikh Omar had also written a guide for performing Haj and kept records of the pilgrims he managed during his lifetime. Bernama managed to track down a fifth generation descendant of Sheikh Omar who had experienced the festive atmosphere of Lebuh Acheh in Penang during Haj season in the 1950s. Nourain Habibi Alisyaki, 60, said that Lebuh Acheh used to be an assembly point for pilgrims and their relatives before pilgrims went on their journey. “I was five or six years old at the time. I remember pilgrims from Kelantan, Kedah, Perak and other parts of Malaya gathering here before departing for Makkah. There were even those from other parts of Asia,” said Nourain. She described the atmosphere at Lebuh Acheh as one of merriment, with streets bathed in bright lights from the shops and was abuzz with activity. “My family and I used to sell sengkuang calit and nasi lemak there. It was so much fun. “I also remember seeing many “Sahara boxes”, which was what Haj pilgrims used to pack their supplies in to bring with them to the Holy Land. When it was time for the pilgrims to take off, the muezzin would call out the azan (call for prayer). The atmosphere would be sombre then as the journey the pilgrims were about to undertake was so lengthy and their safety on board the ship was also not assured,” she recounted. Nourain is currently staying Sheikh Omar’s original residence in Lebuh Acheh, which today has gained the status of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Sheikh Omar’s diary is currently under the care of the Penang Museum. Nourain herself has kept several old Haj manuals and old passports belonging to her grandfather and uncles who had served as Haj Sheikhs. A former police officer, Nourain today is involved in many heritage activities in Penang. She often gets invitations to schools to share her experience as well as tell the story of her ancestors and the important role they play in the history of Haj in Malaya. Although the days of Malaysians travelling to Makkah by sea has long passed, the stories of those who braved the rocky seas to fulfil their religious duty remains. These pilgrims have not only endured rough oceans but plagues, starvation and the possibility of dying before even reaching their destination – such is their faith and tenacity. --BERNAMA  

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