Going to the Parliament House and spending time in Majlis are common practices among the Parliamentarians during Ramadan. It would be riveting to know how the Members of Parliament spend time during the Holy Month. Muhammad Azam catches up with a number of MPs in the Kingdom.

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 Going to the Parliament House and spending time in the Majlis are common practices among the parliamentarians during Ramadan. It would be riveting to know howthe Members of Parliament spend time during the Holy Month. DT News caught up with a number of MPs in the Kingdom. Here we go…   

 Ali Al Aradi

According to Deputy Speaker Ali Al Aradi, Ramadan is a big opportunity for family reunion. “It is our daily routine that 35 to 40 individuals of our family get together at the parent’s house to break the fast,” he said. His official day starts with going to the parliament.

 “It’s our culture to go and visit the Majlises during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Just after the Isha (night prayer), we go to Majlises and we would be visiting around four to five Majlises every night,” the Deputy Speaker explained and added that he used to go with with his colleagues. “We try to cover every night different areas, individuals and families.”

 He said that last 10 days they focused more on the Islamic practice and spent most of the time reading the Holy Quran.  

 Jamal Buhassan

Vice Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Jamal Buhassan said that everything was changed during Ramadan.

 For him, sleep was the biggest thing he had to sacrifice during Ramadan, as he was not sleeping the whole night. “It is only after fajar prayer that I go to sleep, and hardly four hours a day.”

 “Daily schedule is very tight and you don’t have full time for working because you will be in a huff to go back to home for iftar,” Buhassan said.

 He goes to the Parliament House for committee meetings as usual. “After coming back home I read Quran for almost one-and-a-half hours regularly. I spend rest of the time with my family and we break the fast together. Then after saying last prayer of the night, I go to the Majlis and spend night there with the people,” he explained.

 Jamal Dawood

Head of Public Utilities and Environment Committee in Parliament Jamal Dawood said that Taraweeh was the only time when you feel for yourself and all other time was for the Kingdom.

 He usually reaches office at 9 am and remains busy all the time with papers, telephone calls and the meetings till 4pm, the time to go home.

 Al Kooheji

Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs Isa Al Kooheji said that there was no difference between the Ramadan and other months. “The only difference is that we are fasting, otherwise there is no change in the work schedule.”  

 Anas Buhendi

MP Anas Buhendi said that the same old routine was going on during Ramadan as well. He daily comes to the Parliament House to see if there was any update on the matters under discussion.  

 Dr Jameela Al Sammak

MP Dr Jameela Al Sammak said that she was spending most of her time with the people listening to their problems. “Ramadan is basically the time to see the people and meet them. This is the time everybody from the same area comes to the Majlises,” she added.