The boss of Indian Muslim restaurant Singapore Zam Zam saved for three years to take 27 of his staff to Mecca for their first umrah, or minor pilgrimage, for 10 days from 19 June to 28 June, to repay them for their years with the company. Mr Zackeer Khan, who has been manager at Zam Zam for almost six years, said that the company paid for the 28 travellers’ visas, tickets and hotel accommodation for nine days.
The 28 men – including the boss – who went for the trip included those in their 20s and a man in his 60s. All of them have worked for the company – founded in 1908 – for five to 30 years, Mr Khan said. While Mr Khan declined to comment on how much the trip cost, a check on five websites offering umrah packages from Singapore shows that it costs upwards of $3,000 per person, or about $84,000 for all 28 men. The umrah differs from the haj – a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca – in that it can be performed at any time of the year. Some pilgrims take the umrah as a preparation for the haj.
When news broke of the restaurant’s closing for its employees to go for an umrah, netizens applauded the move and wished them safe travels. An employee who has worked at Zam Zam for seven years, 30-year-old Navas Koleth, said he felt blessed. “I’m really happy to work here, it’s very difficult to find a boss like this who can sponsor (our trips). We are like a family. It was really nice to be there, it was our dream. Our restaurant usually does not close and it’s really difficult to get off days during Ramadan because we’re so busy, so it was really surprising when my boss said he’s going to umrah and said anyone who wants to come along can come.”
Source: The Straits Times
