AGO undecided on Akbar pilgrimage<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As controversy continues to rage around House of
\nRepresentatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung's planned haj pilgrimage,
\ndespite his status as a suspect in an alleged Rp 40 billion scam,
\nAttorney General MA Rachman says he had not decided whether to
\nlet Akbar travel to Mecca or not.<\/p>\n
\"We've just read the request of Akbar Tandjung for a haj
\npilgrimage. We are yet to make a decision on a possible travel
\nban,\" Rachman said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who also chairs the Golkar Party, has been implicated
\nin the alleged misuse of National Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds
\nwhen he was the minister\/state secretary in 1999.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office has required Akbar to seek its
\napproval for his trip to the Holy Land as the office continues
\nits investigation into the scandal.<\/p>\n
Pressure has mounted on the office to allow Akbar to go ahead
\nwith his plan, including from a group of Golkar supporters from
\nAceh who vowed to declare a jihad in defense of Akbar.<\/p>\n
Akbar renewed his claim on Wednesday saying that he had
\nplanned his pilgrimage for a long time. He said he would be
\navailable for questioning any time before his scheduled departure
\non Feb. 14.<\/p>\n
He has performed the pilgrimage more than once before.<\/p>\n
\"I have planned the trip for a long time, but I will comply
\nwith the legal process. I respect the law,\" Akbar said after
\nmeeting scholar and old friend Ridwan Saidi.<\/p>\n
Muslim figure Masdar Farid Mas'udi has warned that Akbar was
\nseeking a loophole in the country's legal system. Masdar said
\nAkbar should delay his trip for the sake of legal process given
\nthe fact that he had already performed a haj pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
House legislators meanwhile were cautious in response to the
\ncontroversy.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle legislator Dwi Ria
\nLatifa said that the Attorney General's Office should take both
\nreligious and justice points of view into consideration before
\nmaking a final decision.<\/p>\n
National Awakening Party legislator Yusuf Muhammad said Akbar
\nshould delay his plan for the sake of the legal process now
\nunderway.<\/p>\n
\"Anything that has to be done will be more compulsory than
\nsunnah,\" Yusuf said in reference to actions which are considered
\ngood for Muslims to complete but not mandatory.<\/p>\n
According to Islamic law, the first haj pilgrimage is
\ncompulsory for Muslims while the next series of pilgrimages is
\ntermed sunnah.<\/p>\n
However, Golkar legislator Akil Mochtar emphasized that
\nplanning for a haj trip was a call from God and therefore nobody
\ncould halt the plan.<\/p>",
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