House team blames alleged graft on poor haj management<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives claims it has uncovered systemic
\ncorruption that contributes to the poor management of the annual
\nhaj pilgrimage and led to poor services during the recent
\npilgrimage season.<\/p>\n
Marissa Haque Fawzi, a member of a House team tasked with
\nmonitoring the recent pilgrimage, said her team had discovered
\nsystemic graft as well as a lack of services to which pilgrims
\nwere entitled.<\/p>\n
\"We found that systemic corruption was rampant in the
\nregistration process, haj document arrangements, haj training
\nprograms and dormitory affairs before the pilgrims departed for
\nMecca, Saudi Arabia. Then, the second chain (of malfeasance) is
\ntransportation facilities both at home and overseas, and
\ndormitory and catering services in the holy land,\" she told The
\nJakarta Post here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Marissa, who is a well-known actress-cum-legislator from the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the team
\nhad presented its findings to House leaders.<\/p>\n
She criticized the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which
\nmonopolizes the management of the pilgrimage, for never being
\naccountable for the annual program.<\/p>\n
\"All pilgrims are obliged to pay Rp 20 million (US$2,222) one
\nyear before departure, but the Ministry of Religious Affairs has
\nnever been transparent in the use of the huge amount of funds
\nbefore the haj season,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"Investigation in the field revealed that all fares, catering
\nand dormitory costs are usually paid only one month before the
\npilgrimage season,\" she added. Indonesia recently sent more than
\n205,000 pilgrims to Mecca.<\/p>\n
Marissa revealed that either before departure or during the
\npilgrimage in Mecca and Madina, the pilgrims received fewer and
\npoorer services than pilgrims from Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"Malaysian pilgrims receive better services because of the
\ntransparency in the administration of haj pilgrimage,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Citing examples, she said Malaysian pilgrims were housed in
\nareas close to the Masjidil Haram Grand Mosque in Mecca and
\naccommodated in good dormitories, while Malaysia Airlines planes
\nhad a designated parking area at King Abdul Aziz International
\nAirport, so that there were no delays in their flights home
\nduring the recent pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian pilgrims paid Rp 4.2 million more than
\nMalaysian pilgrims. And many of our pilgrims died because of poor
\nand belated medical treatment. Our pilgrims were placed in remote
\nhousing areas and almost all of their rooms were overcrowded,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Marissa said that the House team concluded that the poor
\nservices for Indonesian pilgrims had a lot to do with the lack of
\ntransparency in the pilgrimage's administration and the
\ngovernment's monopoly in managing haj affairs.<\/p>\n
\"Based on our recommendations given at a recent House plenary
\nsession, Law No. 17\/1999 on the haj pilgrimage should be reviewed
\nto end the government's monopoly. The Ministry of Religious
\nAffairs should no longer serve as the regulator and
\nsimultaneously as the operator. The two functions could allow for
\nrampant and prolific graft in organizing the pilgrimage,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She suggested that Indonesia learn from Malaysia about how to
\nbe transparent in organizing the haj pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
Malaysia set up a state-owned company specifically tasked with
\norganizing the haj pilgrimage, so its pilgrims get better
\nservices, she said.<\/p>\n
Apart from that, the company has managed to annually raise
\nhuge amounts of money to help support Malaysia's national
\ndevelopment program, she added.<\/p>\n
Marissa said the profit-orientated company, Lembaga Tabung
\nMalaysia, which collects around Rp 506 billion annually from
\naround 22,000 pilgrims, has established numerous buildings and
\nhospitals across the country to provide services for Malaysian
\npilgrims.<\/p>\n
It also set up a trust fund for pilgrims and invested in the
\nproperty and construction fields in Malaysia, she added.<\/p>\n
\"The (Indonesian) government has annually raised Rp 5.3
\ntrillion from around 220,000 pilgrims, but only has several haj
\ndormitories and one haj hospital and has set up one trust fund.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian Corruption Watch has even called for a
\nthorough investigation into the alleged corruption in the
\nconstruction of the haj dormitory in Pondok Gede (near East
\nJakarta),\" she said.<\/p>",
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