Bangkok: "Chadda" made an appearance in the parliament meeting room to support "Sabida" as she addressed questions regarding the Hajj ceremony.
According to Thai News Agency, the House of Representatives meeting was chaired by Mr. Wan Muhammad Noor Matha, where Mr. Zakariya Sai, an MP for Narathiwat from the Bhumjaithai Party, posed an oral question to Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, concerning the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. In response, Mr. Anutin delegated the responsibility to Ms. Sabida Thaiset, the Deputy Minister of Interior, to address the inquiry on his behalf.
The session proceeded smoothly since the question originated from the Bhumjaithai Party, directed at a minister from the same party. Ms. Sabida elaborated on the costs associated with the ceremony, stating that she had proposed to the Cabinet to overturn the original resolution. The aim was to eliminate Thai Airways' monopoly on transporting pilgrims, which hindered price competition. The Ministry of Interior engaged in discussions with various airlines to secure competitive pricing and negotiated with Saudi Arabia to increase flight availability for Thai Muslim pilgrims. This year, Ms. Sabida was designated as the leader of the delegation to sign a memorandum of understanding and negotiate basic costs with the Ministry of Hajj in Saudi Arabia. The negotiations included efforts to reduce domestic transportation and intercity travel costs, with a focus on ensuring quality religious fulfillment for the pilgrims.
Ms. Sabida expressed her gratitude, stating, "As a Muslim, I would like to thank Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra for including this agenda in the recent cabinet meeting. She acknowledges the significance of our Thai Muslim community. I extend my gratitude to all cabinet members who agreed to rescind the original resolution, allowing airlines to submit competitive bids."
Concluding the session, Mr. Wan Muhammad Noor acknowledged Mr. Chada Thaiset, MP for Uthai Thani and father of Ms. Sabida, for attending the meeting, stating, "I would like to thank Mr. Chada for being present in the meeting room to offer his support."