Better haj management<\/p>\n
One thing stands out in this year's haj operation, which
\nenters its seventh day today: it's relatively trouble-free
\ncompared to the chaos of previous operations. What has been
\ndescribed by some people as the "biggest peace-time airlift
\noperation" in history is also the most orderly we have seen.<\/p>\n
Kudos to the government, which coordinates the operation to
\nsend some 197,000 Indonesian Moslems on the holy pilgrimage to
\nMecca in Saudi Arabia. Troubles in the past developed in the
\nfirst stages of the operation. This has given us hope that this
\nyear's operation will run smoothly until the last pilgrims return
\nhome in May.<\/p>\n
It is always difficult to measure the success of such a
\nmassive operation because there is no comparison. The closest
\nexample, in terms of airlifting and logistics, is the U.S.-led
\nDesert Storm operation in 1991, which brought troops from various
\nparts of the globe to the Saudi desert.<\/p>\n
The scale is similar, but the management of 200,000 civilians
\nis more complicated than disciplined troops. The best measure we
\nhave is past operations. Since this operation occurs every year,
\nit is only natural to expect that the government strive to
\nimprove its past performance each year.<\/p>\n
Learning from past mistakes, for example, the government this
\nyear secured the cooperation of the Saudi Arabian embassy in
\nJakarta to issue all the visas for the pilgrims one month before
\ndeparture. Surakarta was added as a sixth embarkation point to
\nease congestion in Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya, Ujungpandang and
\nBalikpapan.<\/p>\n
The government did away with unnecessary ceremonials, such as
\nthe traditional long speeches in sending off the first pilgrims.
\nThe past practice of leasing aging planes that tended to break
\ndown was also stopped. The use of a national computer network
\nduring registration prevented overbookings, which last year
\nforced thousands of people to be bumped off the list even after
\nthey paid their fees. Other smaller measures have also been
\nintroduced which has improved the operation.<\/p>\n
In any management, there is no time for complacency. There is
\nalways room for improvement. The massive haj operation is no
\nexception. Some problems have been ignored because the organizers
\nhave been preoccupied with ensuring a smooth operation.<\/p>\n
For example, it is public knowledge that some people, with
\ninsiders' help, have turned what is essentially a spiritual
\nundertaking into a lucrative money-spinning swindling operation.
\nThere have been allegations of massive embezzlements in the
\nabsence of an independent auditing of this multimillion dollar
\noperation. And there is the nagging question why the fee that
\nIndonesians have to pay (Rp 7.55 million or $3,200) is the
\nhighest compared to other Moslems pay in the region.<\/p>\n
Those who have the privilege to travel to Mecca may not
\ncomplain -- not loudly at least -- because hundreds of thousands
\nof others are waiting in line, but this is no reason to rip
\npeople off. Many pilgrims have been saving all their life, or
\nhave sold their farms or livestock, to perform the fifth and last
\nof the Islamic tenets.<\/p>\n
Some constructive suggestions have already come forward on how
\nto improve the operation and cut costs, such as the use of
\nscheduled flights. Sulastomo, the chairman of the Indonesian Haj
\nBrotherhood Association, proposed that Saudi Arabia do away with
\nhaj visas since Indonesian pilgrims travel on passports specially
\nissued for the pilgrimage. We are in no position to tell the
\nSaudi government how to run its visa policy, but the Indonesian
\ngovernment could do away with the special passports and save
\npilgrims money.<\/p>\n
While such a huge operation can only be carried out under the
\ncoordination of the government, there is no reason why it could
\nnot adopt modern management practices that have been well tested
\nin the private sector. Future efforts to improve the haj
\noperation should address the issue of fees and financial
\nmanagement.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/better-haj-management-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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